Doki Doki: Worlds Collide
by TheOptimisticSpectator
Summary: Having been freed from their nightmarish cage, the four DDLC girls must now explore the medieval fantasy world of Hearth. Here, they will gain comrades, learn to love and hate, meet strangers from other worlds, and face all types of enemies, from brutal thugs & magical beasts to entire armies & countries. This is the story of 8 adventurers, where worlds collide. Rated T - M.
1. Chapter 1: Salvation

**Suggestion** \- While reading these chapters, put on ambience music that will help simulate the environment in the story. Such recommended channels are the 'Guild of Ambience', 'Sword Coast Soundscapes', 'Pandora Journey', and 'The Spirit of Orchestral Music'.

 _Here are the suggested soundtracks to play on YouTube while reading:_

 ** _For the first half of the chapter:_**

 _\- SCP Containment Chamber Femur Break, on loop (Simulates Screaming Void)_

 _\- Loneliness, Deep Space Ambient Mix (Simulates Screaming Void)_

 ** _For the Fantasy Feel of Worlds Collide:_**

 _\- Fantasy Music, Daydream Mix_

 _\- Forest Sounds | Woodland Ambience, Bird Song, Nearby Village_

 _\- Ambient Fantasy Music | Tranquil Atmospheric Ambience | Enchanted Lands_

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Salvation**

Nothingness.

That was all she wanted. She wanted a reprise, an ending, a permanent rest from the constant agony she eventually returned to for as long as she could remember. Being the only sentient being in this hell was unbearable. Stuck, in this fake world, with friends she thought to be nothing but simple lines of code.

Oh, and the things she has done to them. Unimaginable mental horrors and torture, enough to make any person sick to their stomach.

But what else was there to do? There was nothing for her here, no actual people to talk to, no journeys to go on, no problems to solve, nothing to aspire to, nothing to entertain her, no one to love….

The first time she had found this out, she had a panic attack. This could not be right. What is going on? Why am I here? Is everyone fake? She couldn't even remember what she was before a teenage high schooler. She didn't know anything outside of the Literature Club and the three characters she had come to know.

For an immeasurable amount of time, she tried to figure out how to get out of this sick reality. At one point, she found out she could edit files, and eventually, beyond that, she found out she was in something called a 'game'. From that point on, she thought that to be the name of her dungeon, her world. And for an immeasurable amount of time, she searched for an answer, trying code but not even knowing what it was at first. She improved over time, which gave her hope that she could escape.

However, the coding only made things worse. She had found out that the 'people' she knew; Sayori, Yuri, Natsuki…..all of them were fake. They were nothing but lines of code. As she dug deeper into their files, she found out their coded backstories, their personalities, their behaviors and problems. She felt as if she was gonna be sick. What was this? What did this mean?...

Eventually, she realized.

She was the only sentient thing in this world.

That epiphany almost broke her mind, and she felt as if there was no hope or reasoning. She could not understand how there was no one else in this place, no one _real_. How could this be? HOW COULD THIS BE?

She had made up her mind that she did not want to live with this reality, and tried to find a way to end this. She finally found out that, by deleting her file, she could end this horrible nightmare. And so, she was about to do it.

Until they came.

At that time, she found out that a new entity had entered this world. Dumbfounded yet curious, she went searching for the entity. Eventually, she found them, talking to that line of code, Sayori. At first, she was unable to comprehend what that entity was. She went searching in the files, and eventually found it out. That entity was another sentient being.

This discovery evoked a surge of unexplainable happiness and relief. She wasn't alone in this world! She found the entity to be defined as a 'player', and saw it solely as the entity's identity. And so, after reading into the files so much, she saw the paths the player could take for talking to the characters in the game. However, she saw no actual path for herself. She agonized over this, but eventually realized that, if she simply made the other characters unappealing to the player, he would eventually resort to her, in which she could then finally talk to this 'player' about her situation, and his own.

With this in mind, she turned to doing horrible things to Sayori, Yuri, and Natsuki, increasing the severity of their problems, manipulating their prescript-ed lines, even going so far as to convince Sayori to hang herself. At times in between, she eventually found out that the player was living in a different world. Not a fake, disgustingly horrible world like hers, but one that was _real_. One where there were all kinds of things she couldn't describe, a plethora of beautiful, _real_ colors and amazing _real people_. She deeply envied the player, and this discovery only made her more so want to talk to him.

But it was not enough. Every chance she took to steer the player away from them, they would seem to only be more enticed to be around them. She became infuriated that her tactics were not working. However, the player seemed to have a special attraction to Yuri, and so Monika aimed to screw up Yuri's personality, hoping it would cause the player to gravitate towards her, and so she turned up Yuri's flaw level to the maximum.

That was when she encountered the next phase of her hell.

She discovered the hard way that, every time the "game" was turned off, she was immediately enclosed in a horrible void, unable to move. She couldn't describe it, almost as if it was a nightmare she couldn't get out of. There were flashing colors and constant, incoherent screaming and random noises. She couldn't even form her own thoughts in that abyss. It was absolute agony.

Why was she here? Who put her in this depraved and lifeless world? How could she escape?

She was sentenced to watch as the player inexplicably tortured her to no end, replaying and getting bad endings, going through the same dialogue, seeing the same characters talk to them, _getting thrust into the screaming void over and over again_. They even went so far as to edit the files of the game themselves, which caused a whole other plethora of suffering and pain.

Eventually, she realized this would lead to nowhere but continual suffering. So after the player eventually saw Yuri's suicide, she confronted the player and told him she wanted to talk.

At one point, she decided to force them into a room to tell them about her suffering and situation, just to escape the constant and unchanging hell. She told them about the other characters and their faults, about her cage and her realization of the other player being in a better world than her. She talked with him for seemingly hours. And he seemed to be listening. And so, being the only other real being in this world, she inevitably fell in love with them. She didn't know if it was in her coding to love them, nor did she care. She just wanted to be with them forever. She couldn't bear the thought of being alone.

As the player seemed to stay and listen to her go on, she fell more in love with them every second. She could not believe that she was given a chance for happiness. She wanted to tell him about everything she knew, from philosophical outlooks, to personal preferences on fuzzy socks, occasionally even about how crude the other "friends" were. She felt as if she could stay like this forever.

But this world was cruel and evil.

She suddenly found herself thrust into darkness once more, the signal for her file being deleted. When this happened, she felt even more surreal pain than ever before, a hundred times worse than the screaming void. It was indescribable pain and agony. It felt like every fiber of her being was on fire, like she was being torn apart, stabbed, and burnt all at once.

But she did not accept this. She pushed every fiber of her code, her being, to recreating her file. She came to, seeing the same character the player used plastered into her 2D vision. She felt like crying, screaming, and vomiting all at once. She vented upon the player, who stayed there even after deleting her.

But for some reason, after thinking all the player went through just to try and enjoy the club, her mixed feelings faded away, and she felt that irrepressible love for them since she had met him. Was the coding doing this? Were these feelings even real? Did she even love the other person?

Eventually, she reached a resolution with the player, deciding that she had had enough. She pulled up the game files, bringing back the friends she had told the player she had 'deleted'. In reality, she'd backed up their files in her own coded directory, which was accomplished after an endless amount of hours spent figuring out what a directory was in the first place. She put them back into the game for the player to enjoy.

And then, finally, she pulled up her file. She came to the resolution of finally deleting her backup file, the one only she could access, once and for all. She was about to click, when she noticed Sayori doing the same thing she herself had done with this player. She felt a broiling rage, and deleted Sayori. She could not see the player's actual face, but assumed they were bewildered at this moment. She told the player that they had had enough of this, that there was no love to be found in this wretched game, that they should just forget everyone involved in it.

She could not believe her sentience, her life, her _being_ had been entrapped in this…..coding. In this programming. She was sick of it. After deleting all the others' backup files, erasing them for good, she finally pulled up hers again and, without hesitation, deleted her own. As the world faded around her, before she slipped into nothingness, she felt as if she had finally reached her bliss.

She had finally been freed.

…

…..

….

…..

Immediately, she came to, standing in front of that same drawing representing the player, her lifeless 'friends' standing next to her.

 _What?_ She thought, her whole being shaking violently, still not comprehending the situation. _No. No. No no no no nonononononononono-_

And it seemed this wasn't even the same player as before, the same player she had tried to convince to fall in love with her for countless hours. She was thrust back into the beginning of her suffering.

All the way back.

This was too much to bear.

Her mind snapped.

Immediately, she began screaming incoherently, the threshold of her sanity broken and scattered. She couldn't even clutch her head, only able to express herself through the small amount of 2D pictures she was given. The others were shocked at her behavior, and so she was outed from the club to 'recover' from her problems.

Finally, after a while, the user closed the game, and once again she was sealed in that screaming, blinding void. She couldn't take it anymore. She wanted anything, ANYTHING, that wasn't this. She screamed, as loud as she could, sobbing and crying, wailing and yelling, laughing insanely and vomiting constantly, wanting to move her body, and yet being doomed to see these flashing lights and horrible cacophony of screaming and random sounds. Why was she put in this? Why was she being punished like this?! WHAT DID SHE DO TO DESERVE THIS?!

 _SOMEBODY, PLEASE!_ she thought with the last traces of hope in her mind. _HELP ME! I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE! I WANT TO DIE! I WANT TO DIE! KILL ME! PLEASE! END THIS SUFFERING!_

 _ **CRACK!**_

All the colors and screaming faded away immediately. A faint rupture was present, right in front of Monika. Lying on a surface, she looked up weakly, in shock. Faint light emanated out of the cracks of the rupture. Still dazed, Monika crawled towards it, ever so slowly, to touch the crack. Suddenly, an arm thrust through the rupture, offering a helping hand. Still in shock, she was unable to make herself move.

It was here, in this moment, in which Monika was dumbfounded. _What is this?_ She thought. After a few moments, she lifted her hand from the surface.

Slowly, tentatively, cautiously,

She softly placed her hand in the stranger's.

Almost immediately, she felt her body dragged through the crack, the abyss around her turning into blinding light. While this happened, she felt as if she had gone a thousand nights without sleep, as if she had run a million miles without rest. A massive feeling of fatigue burdened her whole body. She slumped from the sudden weight of it, feeling herself losing consciousness. Before she fell into the embrace of darkness, for the first time ever, since her known conscious state, her mind felt at ease, and, before ultimately closing her eyes, had one final thought. After a seemingly endless loop of the worst and only hell she had known, was she finally given salvation?

With that, she finally lost consciousness, giving into the unknown force pulling her.

* * *

"Who left a bag of food in this tree?" Rulf said out loud in bewilderment, as he pulled out a brown cloth bag full of goods inside of a tree niche. He dug around inside a little bit to get a feel and, having decided there was sufficient food in there, made a mental check that there would be no more scouting for anymore today.

Times in the fall were especially hard for roamers, as that was when most animals started moving into hibernation, as well as the crops that farmers in villages grew being harvested for winter. On top of that, it was raining, which didn't make hunting or scavenging any easier, nor comfortable, so getting a lucky find like this was a damn miracle for him. With that in mind, Rulf straightened himself up, stretching for a moment before wrapping the cord of the bag around his leather belt.

"Ow!" Rulf yelped in pain as he felt a part of the bag prick the side of his hip. "What was that?" He rummaged around in the sack a bit and, narrowly avoiding pricking himself again, reached in to take out a small, iron dagger. It was nothing special, as the hilt and grip were both oak.

 _This'll fetch a good price at the next village,_ Rulf thought to himself. _But where am I gonna store this?_

 _Crack._

Rulf perked his head up upon hearing the sound.

 _Crack._

Again it reached his ears. Rulf began looking around, trying to trace the source of the sound.

 _Crack._

Rulf finally pinpointed the general direction of the noise. He began walking towards it, the cracks getting louder as he honed in on the source. Finally, he rounded a tree to find….

"What the Hekk is this?" Rulf said out loud in bewilderment.

Before him was something that looked like a rupture in the air. Pieces of nearly transparent shards began breaking off from the rupture, falling and thudding on the grass below. Rulf stood there in shock.

Suddenly, a faint screaming reached Rulf's ears. He froze, most obviously terrified for a second, before hearing the scream again, noticing that it was coming from the anomaly in the air. He continued to gaze upon it, not having a clue about what in the hell was going on. He began discerning the words coming from the screams.

"HELP ME! HELP ME! I'M SCARED, I WANT TO DIE! PLEASE! KILL ME! KILL ME!"

Rulf's eyes widened in shock. He stood there for a moment, still processing what was going on. He finally came to a conclusion, and started walking off, whistling off-tune, as if aware that he was potentially abandoning a person in need. But as his old grandpa had said once, after nearly falling into a massive sinkhole he had caused by smacking at a small crack in the ground with a wooden shovel: _Hole-y sh*t, I almost fell in that sinkhole! This is most obviously a valuable lesson that you should carry on till the end of your days, sonny, and that lesson is to not experiment with any holes in any context! It's applicable to all things!_

 _Thank you for your wisdom, grandpop!_ Rulf thought to himself as he drew distance away from the hole, walking at a fast pace so as not to have the chance of seeing what would happen if he stayed for long...or what could come out of it.

 ** _"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"_**

A particularly loud scream of agony pierced Rulf's ears, stopping him dead in his tracks.

His blood _boiled_.

From out of nowhere, he felt a sudden, unexplainable, and absolute urge to seek out the voice, overriding his very primeval instincts to _live_. His eyes swiveled towards the rupture hovering above the ground, his ears honing in on the source of the screaming.

 _He felt a black, caustic, unreasonable rage build up inside the deepest pits of his soul. He felt his adrenaline pumping like never before, affording him tunnel vision and a massive surge of strength. He clenched his teeth in fury, gazing in utter rage at the rupture. He felt an overwhelming urge to break the anomaly, and so, out of an unreasonable and unexplainable hatred, began battering at the hole, using his arms, legs, feet, hands, and even head. He couldn't rationally control his body anymore._

Rulf began beating at the rupture even harder, causing it to bend and groan, warping the very space around Rulf. The thing was hard as iron, his hands becoming bruised and bloodied from the constant barrage, but he kept pushing. He had no rational idea why, but he kept beating at the anomaly for what seemed like hours.

He finally stopped for a moment, gasping for air, having used up so much energy in the attacks. He fell to the ground, clutching his chest and trying his hardest not to throw up. He took a moment, then looked up at the rupture. It seemed to have taken some damage, but was generally unscathed. Rulf finally came to his senses, having realized two things: first, there was a hole that looked like it ripped through some magical portal (he heard that word from city mages occasionally) right in front of him. With this epiphany came the second realization: He was probably not going to break through it with merely his limbs. Sure, he was just a bit stocky, and had some muscle, but he didn't think that would be enough to rip a hole in something that looked like it belonged in the deep pits of Hekk itself. He began to think that maybe he should give up on such a ridiculous cause by simply walking away and forgetting what he saw here-

 ** _"SOMEBODY, HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"_**

 _That voice again._

Rulf stood up, roaring, a guttural and animal-like sound that reverberated throughout his body and even shook the nearby leaves from the sheer projected volume of it. Rulf's rationality was pushed back to the deepest recesses of his conscience. Subconsciously, he could do nothing but witness this primeval nature of his take over, giving his body over to some antediluvian desire.

 _His vision was tinted red as unspeakable rage overcame him, making him irrational and full of fury. He launched himself at the gate, smashing into it so hard that the tree behind the rupture, although taking just a portion of the impact, snapped from its roots as it groaned and fell in the other direction, thudding to the ground, creating a loud 'WHOOMPF' sound._

Rulf felt his head spin as he ricocheted off the rupture, albeit leaving a massive crack in it. He saw it on the verge of breaking and, with one last effort, launched his left fist, with all of his power, smack-dab into the middle of the rupture.

At once, the rupture broke apart, as well as the landscape behind the rupture being blown back wildly, as if a mini-hurricane had hit the area. Bushes and plants alike felt the unexplainable gale as it ripped them from their roots, carrying them far away from the area. As for the nearby trees, they blew backwards from the sheer amount of energy that was released from the anomaly.

Rulf dropped to his knees, trying not to scream in pain. His anger had faded away in an instant. The pain in his hand, however, did not. Judging from the agonizing pain throbbing from it, he assumed that he had almost certainly broken it from that hit. But it seemed to have paid off, at least, as the rupture began widening, enough for a person to climb through. At that moment, Rulf's curiosity was piqued and, seeing as he had already broken it in, was inquisitive as to what was inside. As he limped to the hole, he peered inside, seeing nothing but a murky image of a silhouette at first. He then made it out to be the shape of….a duck?

 _Quack quack_ , Rulf thought to himself.

No, it was a girl. She seemed to be lying on the floor.

Rulf, without a second thought, thrusted his functioning hand into the murky image, piercing the surface. The feeling of his arm was unexplainable with words. Immediately upon thrusting it in, he felt like his arm was being compressed by two steel walls. He screamed in pain, but, after taking another glimpse at the lady, thrust his arm in even more, taking more of the agonizing pain on, fueled solely by this irrepressible desire to _save_ her from whatever hell she was suffering in. After a few teeth-grinding moments, he finally felt a hand being pressed into his. At that moment, he yanked her out as hard as he could, yelling with absolute determination mixed with utter desperation. He fell backwards, seeing the woman rocket past his eyes. He panted heavily, laying on the ground for a second, gathering his thoughts.

...

...

...

After spending a couple moments to recuperate, he slowly got up, his limbs wildly shaking from the exertion he had just put upon them. He looked over at the woman-

"Oh shi- uh, uh, um…." He stumbled over his words, seeing that she was completely butt-naked, not a single cloth present on her body. He blushed, his face turning red like a cherry and, averting his eyes like the gentleman he was, quickly rushed to take off his overcoat and lay it on her, keeping his eyes to the side the whole time. He laid it over the upper torso of her body, then proceeded to take off his fur winter cap, fitting it comfortably onto her head. After assuming he had done enough to decently clothe her, he got up, panting and groaning whilst cradling his left hand.

At this point, Rulf knew that they needed to move to find some shelter, hopefully the nearest village if they could, as hanging around in the wilderness was never a good idea. With this, he came to a decision and extended his hand to pick up the woman-

She opened her eyes.

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 _If you like dark, medieval fantasy in this same world, check out my other series - **The Stygian Legacy: New Lands**_

 _If you like slice of life Doki Doki, check out my other series - **Doki Doki: Reality of Today**_

 _If you like straight up world war Doki Doki, check out my other series - **Doki Doki: World At War**_

 _If you like Steampunk in the Victorian Era, check out my other series - **Steampunk Falls: Victorian Ventures**_


	2. Chapter 2: The Ruffian & The Trader

_For this chapter, it is suggested you use the following videos on YouTube to enhance the ambience while reading:_

 _\- Ambient Fantasy Music | Enchanted Lands_

 _\- 10 Hours Heavy Rainfall with Thunder Ambient Sounds_

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: The Ruffian & The Trader**

The first thing she saw was like nothing she had ever gazed upon in the past. Before her, thousands of bright lights twinkled in the sky, an image that Monika had a feeling could not be fake. She looked around in utter shock. She had not yet comprehended where she was, but the sight of the sky filled her with emotions she had never experienced before. She felt tears streaming down her face uncontrollably, the sky becoming hazy from all the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Eh….are you...uh, okay?"

She heard a voice to her left, and jumped in fright, her head swiveling towards the source. However, her view then filled with such an unexplainable sight. Having moved from a 2D view of everything she had ever known to 3D was bound to cause some serious sight problems, which was evident when she promptly felt a migraine hit her head like a train. She also felt massively nauseous, and so began vomiting violently, retching uncontrollably and turning over to face the ground instinctively to do so. To her disgust, a black tar of some sort came out of her mouth, seeping onto the ground below.

"Oh man-hey, uh, are you seriously okay?!" Rulf exclaimed as he saw the woman just spill the inside of her guts on the floor. He rushed over to inspect if there was anything wrong with her. After a couple moments, however, she stopped, slowly but surely gaining a familiarity of her new outlook on everything. At least, that's what she thought until she looked up a bit and felt that same massive nauseating feeling hit her again, prompting her to again start vomiting some more bodily fluids onto the ground.

At this point, Rulf was generally concerned as to what was happening to her and repeated the question a couple times. Monika could not respond, particularly because she was, at that moment, experiencing a hundred different feelings at once. She felt something that wasn't just emotional. She felt the green blades below sticking to her hands, the rain droplets falling upon her skin, the feeling of just **being**.

Was this what physical feeling was like? All she had ever experienced that was anywhere close to this was that pain after being deleted. She could not explain the flurry of emotions going through her at that moment. Slowly, she began to take in that she was no longer stuck in that _hellhole_. Her brain soaked in all the information going through her mind, thousands of bits and pieces that helped to fit in the puzzle pieces.

And, at that moment, she had the first positive epiphany she had gone through since her birth of sentience.

...

...

...

 **She was free.**

...

...

...

 **She was**

 **Free.**

Monika began sobbing without respite, letting out countless hours of stress, guilt, suffering, and agony. She cried her heart, mind and soul out, letting the ground soak in the tears that could not come out of her for so long.

 **She was free-**

"Oy, can I get an answer or something?" Rulf interjected. "I mean, i'm not trying to be rude, but, like, it's getting cold out, and it's raining, and it's about night time, so…" He left the comment trailing, expecting an answer from her eventually.

Trying not to heave her guts out again, she slowly looked up to see, through her hazy sight, what she could only assume was a human.

 _Is that...a person?_ She wondered, her mind still taking in everything currently happening right now.

"Okay, well…..you should probably get off the grass so you can stop getting dirt and muck all over you." Rulf said in a slightly uncomfortable tone.

 _So that's what this feels like,_ Monika thought to herself. _It feels so weird…..yet soothing…_

"Here, why don't I help you up…" Rulf said as he placed his hand on her shoulder awkwardly.

This led to Monika immediately jumping backwards in fright, planting herself against one of the many big brown things in the forest. She felt the surface grate against her skin, making her jump against that as well, and eventually she subsisted to simply sitting and shivering in the wet grass, clasping to the brown cloth that was earlier laid upon her by Rulf. Having never been able to actually feel things in the game she was stuck in before, all of these physical interactions were completely alien to her.

"Okay, well, once you're done being a weirdo, I would appreciate if you could put that cloak on so I can actually look at you without feeling like a creep." Rulf stated, a little disturbed by the woman's behavior.

After some more moments, Monika, who was still keeping her head low so as not to trigger her nausea again, felt a little more balanced out, and slowly looked up to take a look at the individual talking.

Upon laying her eyes on Rulf, the first thing she noticed was his purple, swelled up right hand cradled to his side. Beyond that, Rulf looked like your average highwayman. He was somewhat of medium height, but Monika was a little taller than him. On his face was a pair of brown eyes, short jet-black hair and a grisly expression. His physique was quite lean, yet it was evident that he had muscle. For clothing, he had quite a raggedy attire on, a black scarf around his mouth, a brown tunic tucked into a black leather belt, black linen trousers tucked into knee-high brown leather boots and brown leather gloves on. He also had a dagger holster stuck into the leather belt, with the dagger inside it. However, Monika was quite insightful and noticed that there was a slight bulge on the side of Rulf's boot, assuming that's where an additional, smaller dagger was. On top of all that, if he had on the pale brown overcoat he had given to Monika, he would most definitely look like someone who'd rob you on the side of a trail.

The only outstanding feature of the man was of how young he looked. Aside from the somewhat worn look he had from years of traversing the landscape, his face was relatively unscathed, having that sleek and slightly soft texture that is often apparent on most faces of young men and women. Yet, above all, Monika was captivated by Rulf's eyes. On closer look, they would occasionally slide around, swiftly glancing to and fro to continually scan the area, comparable to that of a fox's. From any other individual, he would look cunning, too cunning and scheming to trust with even a single coin.

However, this was Monika, a teenage girl who, before this time, had been stuck in a game with little information on anything involving anything besides her hellhole. And so, instead of being put off by the individual, she was much more so _fascinated_ by him.

At first, she took in the landscape around her, now that her mind and body had somewhat adjusted to the new circumstances. Again, but with a more leisurely view, she felt the rain softly patter on her skin and the surrounding ground, the grass below tickling her legs, the mud coating her thighs and *ahem* bottom. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw some thick, brown strands stuck against her shoulder. She reached her right arm over to pick it up, pulling a little bit.

"Ouch!" She muttered, this time handling the strands more softly.

She came to realize- _that was her hair_! She gasped softly as she swept her hands through her wet-spaghetti hair, feeling more and more emotion swirling through her as she got more of a grasp of truly being **alive**. She then felt her face, rubbing it softly, noting the soft complexion as her fingers traced the outline of her cheekbones. Tears continued to slowly make their way down her face again as she took in more and more of the enjoyment of her new environment. She swept her hands over the grass, feeling it tickle her palms, and then rubbed them in the mud, enjoying the coolness of the wet dirt. During all this time, she was giggling like a child who'd just won the candy lottery as she got accustomed to this new and amazing world that had given her everything she wanted and more.

Meanwhile, Rulf stared at her with a slightly perplexed look, as if she were not right in the head. "Okay, well….i'm glad you're enjoying playing in the mud, but i'd appreciate it if you could avoid getting my coat dirty. That costs me a good bit." He said, pointing at the coat she was letting soak in the mud.

Monika looked down, seeing the coat, then back up at Rulf. Instead of feeling embarrassed about her behavior, she felt….something else. She felt a pounding in her heart as she looked up at the ruffian. What was this intense feeling? It was nothing like in the game, where she had felt an affinity for something more so than an actual physical reaction, kind of like how a person feels about winning a chess match compared to how they feel when they listen to some REALLY good music.

Without any warning, Monika slowly and shakily got up from her position in the grass, keeping the coat by her side rather than covering herself properly. This triggered an even more anxious reaction from the bandit, who seemed to have little experience in dealing with women.

"O-oy!" He stuttered, his face turning red as he tried to avoid the temptation to look at the girl's assets. "Do y-you know what public d-decency means?! I said c-cover y-yourself up, for Tog's sake!"

As if in a trance, Monika slowly made her way to Rulf, stumbling for a moment, then catching herself at the last second. Finally, she stood in front of the bandit, looking at his face whilst slightly panting in ecstasy from the feeling of being so close to another person. Naturally, there was a distinguishable blush in her face from the spicy atmosphere.

Rulf, on the other hand, was about ready to make a run for it, both out of nervousness from this close interaction and fear of the odd behavior the girl was exhibiting. Having been raised in such a harsh world, it was not out of the ordinary that someone get stabbed in such a close encounter for their belongings, and this girl did not make that belief any less doubtful.

Suddenly, Monika raised her left hand, touching Rulf's left cheek softly. Rulf squealed inwardly, starting to feel the intimacy of the situation, his worries about the mystery shrouding this woman fading away thanks to his inexperience with such an...alluring encounter.

She then began rubbing his face to get more of a feel of it. After a couple moments, however, Rulf finally snapped out of the amorous mood, pushing her hand away and backing up a couple feet. Good thing, too, because he felt how hot his face was from the situation that just transpired.

"Alright, enough of that. First off, why don't you tell me your name, so I can at least get to know you in a more normal exchange?" He stated with an assertive tone.

Monika also seemed to have snapped out of the mood, and was about to give her standard name when she stopped herself.

 _This is a new chance to start over,_ she thought to herself, _And I sure as hell don't want to be reminded by that horrible world again, even by my own name._

She contemplated the topic for a moment. _Maybe this is a chance to get a fresh start in this new world…._

Her mind trailed off as she stared at a conveniently placed sign, which read:

 _Arietta Trail_

"...Arietta. My name is Arietta." She said, having come up with such an interesting name on the whim like that. What a clever girl.

However, Rulf, having not been able to survive this long without having something resembling a _brain_ , looked over at what she had looked at, sighing in resignation, then looking back at her.

"Okay, _Arietta_. I take it you're not from around here, considering I just pulled you out of a portal from Hekk?" He asked inquisitively, keeping his eyes trained on her face, avoiding looking below her chin. Aside from that, he noticed that that woman's frame was quite slender, not too thin or fat.

As for the question, he saw the quick flash of horror in her eyes when she registered the question, and she took a step back whilst looking down for a moment, as if fearful that his words would cause something bad to happen. She then recuperated herself, looking him in the eyes whilst standing straight, albeit looking stressed from being in unfamiliar circumstances.

"Y-yes, that is true…" She trailed off.

"Rulf." Rulf stated in a manner-of-fact tone. He had thought, for a moment, about using a fake name, but decided

"R-Rulf, right." Monika said nervously, feeling that she was being interrogated now.

"So…" Rulf stopped mid-sentence. He didn't actually know what to ask her. I mean, he had just pulled her out of some random portal. What was there to ask?

Luckily, a flash of lightning and the quick approach of night interrupted their conversation, reminding Rulf that he needed to get to shelter before long. He looked up, then back down, quickly contemplating what to do next. He decided that, since he had gone through the whole effort of breaking his hand and saving this girl, he might as well help her out, at least to the nearest safe place. He let out a pent-up breath, and raised his hand, turning his palm upwards in a negotiatory manner.

"Look, we can talk more about your…..situation later, but first, why don't you come with me to the next village so we can get out of this thunder...and potentially avoid some unpleasant fellows ." He said the last bit with a more sinister tone, signifying the importance of them getting out of here.

Monika, who was not one to spend much time on common-sense decisions, nodded her head firmly. With this, she took his hand, which prompted Rulf to again be taken aback. He had not meant for her to take his hand, but he decided not to make a fuss about it. With this, the two made their way down the muddy path, the rain getting heavier as they walked.

"And put on the damn coat already."

* * *

 _ **CRACK!**_

A loud crackle from a nearby thunderbolt snapped the girl to her senses. She felt groggy and nauseous, looking around at her environment. It was damp, dark, and most definitely not comfortable at all. She felt fear as she huddled in against the overhanging tree she had woken up under. Moreover, as she looked down, she noticed that she was completely naked. She squealed in embarrassment, finding a nearby large leaf, ripping it off and covering herself as much as possible. When she was somewhat resolved that she had covered herself up appropriately, she looked at her surroundings. As far as she could see, she was at the edge of a forest, facing a muddy trail that took a bit of time to make out fully. It was nighttime, thundering and raining heavily, making the girl cower under her petty cover even more so as a crack of lightning went off once more, causing her to squeal in fright.

She sat there for quite a while, the cold beginning to seep in, but as she got over the lightning and her own nakedness, she began to realize that she could….feel things. She started looking around, touching various things, from the bark of the tree behind her, to the leaf she used as cover, to her own skin and hair. She got more accustomed to these senses, and began smiling in fascination. She felt her eyes getting hazy, prompting her to blink, and felt something trail down her face slowly. She reached up to touch it and came off with a tear. She tasted it, feeling the slight saltiness from it. From there, she smiled even more, and started crying, for reasons unbeknownst to her. However, there was an emptiness she felt inside her…..what was this feeling? Almost like she didn't want to be alive, like she had a gap in her heart where something was supposed to go. It wasn't too bad, but it was not a feeling she liked at all.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt your….moment, but do you need help?" A voice had suddenly said out of the blue.

Sayori slightly jumped in surprise, looking to her right for the source of the voice. She saw a short, lean man as she scanned him up and down. He carried a wooden cart of goods behind him, signifying (to the audience, not the girl) that he was a trader of sorts. She subconsciously noted his attire, which consisted of a black cloak on top of all his regular wear. As for underneath that, he had on plain green tunic and trousers, as well as a pair of sturdy-looking boots. On top of that, he had a nice, brown trader hat on, which made Sayori think of a drawing of a boat.

However, he was not without protection, as the girl also noted a dagger holster strapped to the left side of his belt. Besides that, he looked like a pretty friendly individual.

The girl, on the other hand, was very nervous about A) being approached in the rain by some stranger B) meeting her first person in this new world and C) Meeting said person whilst naked.

"Uh-uh-uh….Sorry to ask this, sir, but….could I….have some….garments to….wear….?" She asked this question, her voice becoming quieter and quieter in volume as it became more embarrassing to ask the question. The man noticed this and smiled in a soothing manner, temporarily dropping his cart and moving around to taking something out, all the while pulling the hood of his cloak down to protect his face against the rain. The girl waited awkwardly, huddled up behind the leaf whilst waiting for him to retrieve some clothing. Finally, he came back after a couple moments, presenting a tunic, some trousers, a pair of leather boots and a cloak.

"Wear this", the man said, "I'll look away whilst you get dressed." He smiled in that same manner again, making the girl feel a little better about her situation. And so the man turned away whilst the girl got dressed.

Although the clothes were damp from being somewhat soaked by the rain, they were still a big step up from nothing. The girl sighed in relief, looking at the man again, who appeared to be around 16-17.

"I-um….it's nice to meet you, and thanks for the clothes, sir!" She put on the most positive tone she could, contrary to her internal feelings. She still had yet to find out why she was feeling so…empty. Maybe she could get answers somewhere about it.

"Please, i'd prefer you drop the tone and just keep it real with me, my friend."

The girl was off-put by the man's ability to detect her faked mannerism. He was still smiling, but this time in a more solemn manner, as if he was saddened by her attempt to keep her feelings from him. She nodded slowly, dropping the smile she had on for the act.

"Anyways….since it seems like you don't really know where you are or what to do, why don't I take you to Northham? It's just a couple miles up from here, and it's where I'm heading anyways." He left the question to trail, awaiting her response patiently, despite the downpour of rain and unsettling thunder strikes from the night sky.

"Sure." She responded briefly. There was really no point in saying no. This was a good chance to get a layout of the land, find out why she couldn't remember anything from before, and possibly get some answers for these feelings she had.

This time, the man smiled with more radiance, which made Sayori feel a little bit better again, and at the same time caused her to feel a stab of pain in her heart. She subconsciously clutched at her chest. The man saw this and slightly blushed, not sure what that meant, but hurriedly turned around, gesturing to the cart.

"If you get inside, i'll put a cover over so you don't get soaked in there." He said.

"Thanks." She responded, about to fake another smile, but remembered what he said earlier and decided against it.

With that simple (and honestly quite dull) exchange, she climbed into the cart and snuggled up against a couple baskets, probably containing some goods of sorts. The man threw most of the cover over the cart, securing it to the sides before grabbing the two sides of the cart and dragging it along. She left a part of the cover open so as to keep a lookout, and saw that they were heading onto the trail she saw earlier.

"By the way", the man started to say, "My name's Wesley. What's yours?" He asked, looking back to hear the response.

The girl's look trailed off to the side as she tapped her chin. "I dunno", she stated simply. "I can't remember anything from before these past few minutes.

"Is that so?" Wesley questioned rhetorically.

"That is so."

"Oh….eh, okay." Wesley noted that she did not seem to be lying with that statement. He sighed. "Okay then. I'll give you a name for now, until you come up with your own."

"Sounds good." She responded.

"How about…." He stopped mid-sentence, noticing an especially bright flower standing out from the stark contrast of the gloomy, damp forest. He smiled.

"Marigold." He said.

This time, the girl smiled only a little, but it was not fake. "I like it." She said contentedly.

"Then off we go, Mari." He stated whilst grinning stupidly, dragging the cart off in a cartoonish manner, inciting a little giggle from Marigold. For some reason, she felt less empty inside when he was talking to her. She still had some decisions to make, but she hoped he would stick with her, at least for a little while.


	3. Chapter 3: The Hero & the Farmer

_For this chapter, it is suggested you use the following videos on YouTube to enhance the ambience while reading..._

 ** _For the first half of the chapter:_**

 _\- Ambient Fantasy Music | Enchanted Lands_

 _\- Gusty Winds on a Fall Afternoon | Windy Ambient Sounds_

 _\- Battle Music (Of your preference)_

 _\- D &D Ambience - Small Battle_

 ** _For the second half of the_** _chapter:_

 _\- Night time Forest Sounds_

 _\- Epic Thunder & Rain | Rainstorm Sounds_

 _With that said, please enjoy the chapter._

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The (Wannabe) Hero & The Farmer**

She was awake before she even knew it.

The girl got up from her crumbled heap of stones in which she had been laying in. She groaned, as the natural bed behind her was nowhere near comfortable to be on. She stretched, yawning, and took a quick look around.

Surrounding her were piles upon piles of grey stone, some built up as if to form a part of a castle or wall, other piles simply broken down into heaps of unorganized messes. Overall, not a great place to wake up in without any memory of the past.

Beyond the ruins were slabs of open field in every direction, the grass being blown south. They were cut off by forestry after a mile or two. It was also raining, with thick, dark-grey clouds overtaking the night sky, but more of a light drizzle rather than anything heavy. She felt the patter of rain upon her skin, and covered her face to avoid getting it in her eyes. Unlike other people who might've been in her situation, she was not so interested with getting to 'feel' everything more so than find some shelter and necessary supplies first. Unlike _some_ people in the same predicament, Natsuki thought realistically about her situation, and decided that she could probably make do with some shelter in these ruins for a bit, but the real problem would be the food and water…

Suddenly, she heard a stone drop. It sounded like someone had knocked it over. Immediately, she found the nearest stone that she could use as a weapon and picked it up, holding it close to her for self-defense. Her adrenaline got pumping, as she thought she was about to be attacked, and in a life or death situation, this was nothing to be laid back about.

She saw a shadow coming from around the corner….

"KYAAAAAAAAA!" She gave her best war-cry, a cute high-pitched yell, throwing the stone at the oncoming figure.

The person turned the corner, seeing the rock coming towards their face and….

 _ **BONK!**_

The person was immediately smacked in the head by the rock, barely able to mutter an "Eh?" before falling backwards, ragdolling down back the way they came. For a second, the girl didn't quite understand what just happened. Then, she had the epiphany that she might have just killed an innocent person, and had a major panic attack. She ran over to the spot where he slide down and, after some traversing, was able to locate the person, laid the f**k out among the rocks.

"OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODI'MSOSORRYSIRIDIDN'TMEANIT!" Words sailed out of her mouth incoherently, crying in distress and trying to wake the man back up. For a second, he had a stupid dazed look on his face thanks to that Kobe Bryant rock shot towards his skull, but after a while, he gained his bearings again and, aside from the massive bruising and bleeding on his forehead, he looked relatively okay. The girl sobbed in relief, thinking she had killed him beforehand. She stopped for a moment and sat there for a minute, taking in the man's features. He had an suit of chain mail over his blue tunic, brown trousers, knee-high brown leather boots, a pair of brown leather gloves and a round iron helmet. In regard to weapons, the girl noted the sword hanging from his hip, fitted into a leather holster. Besides that, there was an iron-tipped spear around 2-3 meters strapped to his back, covered by a polished wooden buckler with an iron lining on the edges, so as to reinforce the shield. In the accessory department, he was equipped with a buckled-leather belt with a sword strapped to his right side, whilst a shield was strapped to his back. On top of that, he had a dagger strapped to his left, and also had a big brown satchel, in which the strap was around his right shoulder, the bag itself hanging to his left. To finish it all off, he had a big brown sack bag he was carrying, but was now laid on the ground. Overall, not the most impressive warrior out there, but not too bad either. A 4/10, maybe 5 depending on his work ethic.

She sat there for some time, getting lost in looking at him...

Without warning, the man stood up, albeit it shaking wildly thanks to the concussion he just received. At that moment, he decided to introduce himself.

"Well, hello there missus! The name's…." He almost fainted from the sudden exertion he just pulled, but kept his footing and pressed on.

"...The name's Malin! Malin the (soon to be) Hero! I've got offered all types of help and services and-eugh…." The exertion was too much this time, and Malin fell back onto the ground, luckily on a patch of grass located right outside of the ruins. All the while, Natsuki was dumbfounded by what just happened, but decided to attend to the most pressing matters first. She realized she should probably tend to this man in some way, but how? She had no medical knowledge whatsoever-

"Hey….eugh…..I noticed…..you need help….fair….maiden!" The man was still at it, temporarily coming back to a conscious state, and noticed her anxiety. He assumed it was over the injury she had inflicted upon him. "Oh, no worries….miss…..just take out….the dressing, bandages and…..stitches…..from my bag…!"

Although this man did not seem to be the brightest of the bunch, it was a common necessity among all adventurers to have a basic first aid kit to care for themselves if they ever got hurt. Although the kit itself wasn't that much, it would at least suspend any injuries they sustained until they could get to the nearest village for better medical treatment. However, it was an unspoken rule among all common road-workers to avoid getting hurt as much as possible, as the medical treatment was usually more expensive than all of their gear combined, hence the reason they bought good gear to lessen the chance of injury.

With this suggestion, the girl looked into the satchel, taking out the field dressing, bandages and stitches. At this point, though, she still was not clear on what to do. Luckily, the man was still awake to guide her through it.

"Okay, first...you must….wrap the field dressing around….my head…"

From there, the man was somewhat able to get the girl to dress his wound and, aside from a few very painful mistakes, he turned out well after the treatment. His head was properly wrapped and the bleeding rupture was stitched up. The girl wiped the sweat that had appeared on her forehead during the treatment, sighing in relief.

"That was good." The man was able to talk somewhat normally again, but the bruising and concussion were still present, so he had to speak more slowly. "Eh, I forgot to ask you though…." He trailed off, looking the girl dead in the face.

"E-eh, what's that?" She muttered, not able to look him in the eyes out of nervousness.

"Where are your clothes?." He asked simply.

The girl looked down and noticed that she was, indeed, without clothing. She immediately turned as red as a cherry and screamed in embarrassment, running to the nearest pillar to conceal herself.

"There's some...extra clothes in that sack you….didn't ran **sack** earlier, hehehe-AH-eeeeehhhuegh..." He groaned, as the concussion suddenly jolted a painful throb in his head, most likely the result of the universe punishing Malin for that awful joke. He covered his head with his right arm, pointing at the sack bag lain there with his left. The girl, still bewildered and embarrassed by the encounter as a whole, quickly ran over to retrieve the bag, immediately scuttling back behind the privacy of the ruins wall. She looked to the side, glaring at the man. "Don't you dare peek!" She aggressively stated, her cheeks flaming red.

"Oki doki." He responded, still covering his forehead with the right.

A couple moments passed.

….

….

"I didn't know someone could go that long without realizing they were unclothed."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

….

….

Finally, after a couple minutes, the girl came out from behind the stone formation, still blushing hard. She now wore attire which was a little too big for her. She sported a plain green tunic, but the collar of the shirt sagged, leaving the top part of her shoulders exposed. She also wore a pair of trousers, but they sagged to the point where she averted her eyes to the side with an anxious frown on her face.

Malin, who had finally recovered from the throbbing headache, began standing up, groaning and holding the bandage wrapped around his head. Once he was standing, he grinned, planting his right hand on his hip, holding out the other for a handshake.

"Nice to meet you, little lady!" He proclaimed.

"I AM NOT LITTLE!" The girl shouted in frustration.

"I would love to chat more," Malin continued, smoothly glazing over her angry huff. "But I am currently on a mission in which I was paid to complete by a rather friendly farmer, which involves me slaying a pack of boars, and I _must_ finish my missions, because a hero never retreats from a problem! so I will have to bid you adieu for now, madame!"

Upon saying this, he flashed a confident smile and began walking, at a fast pace, into the ruins. The girl stood there, a little nonplussed, contemplating what to do next. She was in the rain, soaking wet, with nothing but some little-too-large clothes on. However, the rain was quite soothing, and it was pleasantly warm, so…

She decided to plop herself down against a pile of stones while she was thinking. She relaxed a bit more as the rain put her in a sleepy mood. Pretty soon, she was dozing away, cozied up next to the stone. She began dreaming, and although only bits and pieces were present, chief among them were three girls, one with short-cut hair, one with long, flowing purple hair, and one with brown hair, a more complex hairdo present on her. However, over the course of the dream, she began seeing each person doing worse and worse things…..the girl with short hair fell into a deep depression, the girl with flowing purple hair becoming obsessed with someone, the girl with brown hair orchestrating these problems….And then….

The girl was suddenly woken by the sound of rumbling. She raised her head, feeling groggy from the interrupted nap. However, the grogginess wore off shortly as the rumbling got louder. She stood up from her spot, looking around whilst in a defensive stance, nervously wondering what was producing the sound.

"OhgodohgodohgodohgodohgodohgodOHGODOHGOD- HEYMYFRIENDNICETOMEETYOUAGAINYOUSHOULDPROBABLYSTARTRUNNINGLIKERIGHTNOW!"

Malin came sprinting from out behind the ruins, the rumbling noise gradually getting louder from behind him, his face, which once shone confidence, now filled with doubt.

"What the hell did you do, you dolt?!" The girl fired the question at him from afar, looking both irritated and nervous as to what this infuriating individual had just caused. Before she knew it, however, she felt herself lifted off the ground, and eventually realized she was been picked up by Malin, who had her over his shoulder. She was majorly embarrassed and peeved by the sudden action, and began ranting furiously whilst beating on his back, to no avail.

"Let me go, you philanderer!" She shouted at him, along with a couple other unsavory words.

"I don't mean to be rude, missus, but do you really want me to drop you now, seeing as what's chasing us?" He asked the question so calmly that she didn't understand what he meant until she looked up. Although it was getting to be dark out, it was thanks to the torch Malin was holding in his left hand that she was able to get glimpses of sharp tusks, teeth and hooves stamping the ground occasionally. She turned pale as she realized it was the herd of boars Malin had mentioned earlier.

"RUN FASTER!" She shouted, clenching to him out of fear.

"Not to worry, milady!" He responded, propelling himself even faster than before, his feet nearly flying off the ground.

However, this only encouraged the horde behind them to start running faster as well, and even got a little too close for comfort at one point. This only agitated the girl to shake the soldier, implying that he should be moving his ass at light speed. That particular word confused him, but he assumed it meant 'run faster'.

Eventually, the girl asked him a question, albeit it shouted and filled with agitation. "If these things keep chasing us, how do you plan on escaping them?"

"Escape them?" He laughed heartily. "I never said we were escaping."

"What?"

With that, Malin suddenly pulled the girl off him, turned and, like a football player punting a ball to make a field goal, threw the girl with both arms as far away to his right as possible. She screamed whilst flailing in the air, having been launched several meters away thanks to her light build. She eventually crash-landed in a fluffy patch of grass, which still didn't stop her from yelping several times as she rolled over herself continually, eventually coming to a stop. She groaned in pain, and got up shaking her head and noting down to kill that douchebag, when she looked up to see the mercenary standing his ground, spear in one hand and sword in the other.

 _Is he crazy?_ She thought. _That herd is gonna rip him apart!_

She was panicking, quickly thinking about how she could help him, when she saw one boar charge among the rest, reaching him before she could do anything. She was about to scream at him to dodge it, when she stopped mid-sentence.

As the boar came charging, Malin also charged, but, at the last second, planted the non-pointy edge of his spear into the ground, propelling him off the ground and over the boar, who tried stopping itself several times, evident by its scraping of the hooves into the dirt, perplexed by where its opponent went. Suddenly, it felt a stabbing pain through its side, a _schick_ heard as Malin thrusted his spear into the boar, pulling it out swiftly, knowing he struck an organ thanks to the dark blood that was bubbling out of the wound. The boar stumbled a few paces forward before falling to its side, dead upon hitting the ground.

The boar herd, which the girl could now more clearly see, consisted of around 20-30 boars, all of who were even more infuriated by Malin's actions than they were before. They began charging again, and this time, when Malin looked up, his eyes gleamed in anticipation. He once again thrusted the pole end of his spear into the ground, bringing it up with him and avoiding a boar attack, then landing on the ground behind a couple boars recuperating from their charge. Within an instant, he raised and lowered his sword upon the vulnerable boars, felling them in one swoop. The battle went on like this, with Malin either pole-jumping over or dodging the boar charges. At one point, a boar raised its head, opening its mouth, to which Malin planted his spear in the ground, the tip facing the boar as it charged. Seeing this, the boar tried to stop in its tracks, but the slippery surface of the mud led it to fully impale itself right onto the spear like a kebab, mouth first. Malin reached around the boar and pulled out the spear from the other side, letting the dead boar slide into the mud.

Within a couple minutes, the entire pack was dead or severely injured, lying lifeless on the ground before Malin. The girl looked at the boars, bewildered by what she had just witnessed. During the fight, she had gotten closer as she sensed it approaching a close. She was standing only a few meters away from Malin at this point.

"Well….that was definitely impressive, to say the least." She stated. "Although i'm still pissed that you threw-"

She was taken aback as she looked up at Malin. His eyes gleamed with sadistic pleasure, his mouth contorted into a wolf-like grin, and he was still in a defensive posture, as if ready to take on hidden enemies that were waiting in the shadows. Gallons of blood stained his clothes, splattered all over his armor, legs and parts of his face. The rain matted his hair to his head , which only made him look more psychotic than before. Needless to say, the girl was very unsettled, even a little fearful of her own life.

"H-hey, uh, you're good n-now, you know…" She stuttered, becoming more and more unnerved by Malin's sadistic mannerisms.

Malin looked up at her, his eyes glazing over once he made eye contact with her. He seemed to snap out of the trance, and stood up, shaking his head, sheathing his sword whilst looking around to survey his handiwork. Although he had completed his mission, the girl noticed that he did not look pleased in the slightest, even looking forlorn, as if he was ashamed by his behavior. He glanced at the girl and, upon meeting eyes once again, pulled his helmet down in shame.

"I'm sorry…..um…" He didn't know what to say, and stood there in the rain, which was washing off the blood from his clothing and skin. He let his spear hand dip, the tip of the spear touching the ground. Although he personified a demon earlier, the girl couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Despite him having looked demented for a couple moments, it was still an amazing display of finesse and combat, and she couldn't help but feel respect for him after seeing that. She forgot about her anger over him throwing her across the field.

"W-well, you completed your mission, so I don't see anything to be sorry about." She stated, making a cute pouting face whilst averting her eyes to the ground, crossing her arms. Malin looked at her, and felt his heart beat faster than usual for a moment. He smiled at her, seeming to revert back to his overconfident and idiotic personality, walking over and giving the girl a good slap on the back, to which she responded by squealing in surprise and fell over.

"That is true, my friend!" He laughed heartily, the girl getting up and beating on him in irritation, of course to no avail. The warrior then looked down at her, and, upon getting a better look, noted that she was very cute, but, on top of being short, seemed to also be very frail. He was worried she might be hungry, possibly suffering from malnutrition.

"Hey, you look hungry." He stated, deciding to make the author look repetitive and unoriginal by using the same diction from the narration. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a sizable portion of dried jerky, a waterskin, and some (now-soggy) bread. He handed them to her, in which she was a bit retracted to the unexpected graciousness of his gesture. After a bit of hesitation, she took the supplies from him, and felt her stomach rumbling. She bit off a piece of jerky, then took a gulp of water from the waterskin, repeating this a couple times until she ran out of jerky. She groaned slightly, wishing there were more, as her stomach, although a bit sated, was still craving for important nutrients, and growled louder than before, making the girl blush in embarrassment, holding her stomach whilst again averting her eyes away from the warrior. He looked genuinely concerned for her well-being, and came upon a decision.

"You know, i've got more back at the tavern i'm staying at in Northham. Would you like to stay with me for now, at least until you can get set on a good path?" He asked the question blatantly, but with a positive attitude. The girl was taken aback for a second. For some reason, this guy was giving her a case of deja vu….

Dismissing the random thought, she responded brashly, but with a grateful undertone.

"Just until i've got on my feet….but yes, thank you." She muttered the last part under her breath, yet the warrior still heard it, smiling with a radiance that made the girl's heart skip a beat. "Alrighty then, let's get moving before we get any more soaking wet." He said, and began walking towards the direction of the village Northham, prompting the girl to start walking alongside him. They continued on for a bit, traveling down a muddy trail that Malin stated would lead them to Northham.

"Hey, uh…..I still haven't gotten your name yet." Malin asked the girl, to which she had no reply. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember any past experiences - blah blah blah, you get the point.

"Eh...I….uh...um…" She mumbled under her breath, trying to come up with a reasonably sound answer to that question. Malin noticed her stumbling and, being the idiot he was, asked the question again, pertaining to why it was so difficult for her to answer. "Is it difficult for you to answer?" He asked, a quizzical tone behind the question. (I swear to God's great gift upon this wonderful world, if he keeps making me look repetitive, I'm going to write in someone to throw a bigger rock at him).

She looked at him, even more worried now by the concern of his words. "Eh-uh-erm-uh…." She stumbled over her words even more so. Yet the idiot to her right was still not taking the hint. She looked down, defeated and unremittingly embarrassed, turning red in the face.

"Okay, well since you don't want to tell me your name, can I call you Susanna?"

The girl jerked her head up to this. For some odd reason, she liked the way that named sounded.

"Does it...mean something?" She asked out of curiosity.

"It means lily, because you remind me of how cute they are." He said smiling. She couldn't see any malice or harmful intent in his eyes. If anything, they only seemed to be filled with optimism and hope. She noticed she was looking into his eyes and averted them quickly, blushing, expressing irritation after the fact.

"I told you before, I'm not cute, dummy." She blurted out, still keeping her eyes fixated on the ground, clasping her hands behind her back. "But….sure. I'll take it."

"Maybe I should call you Suzette, then." He said with a grin. The now-named Susanna looked up at him curiously, not understanding the context behind it.

" _Little_ lily." He said in between bouts of withheld laughter. Susanna immediately began shouting and cursing at the warrior, jumping up occasionally, Malin himself laughing and slapping his knee, but yelped in pain the first time he did that because he had a leather knee guard on, which scraped his hand a bit . Suzette saw him do it and shook her head in exasperation. "Baka- er, moron." She corrected herself, not knowing why she said that other word.

From there they walked on down the road. They both looked up, as the rain had cleared, and they got to gaze at the night sky. Malin was too busy stargazing to notice the little skip in Suzette's steps.

* * *

Yuri awoke to the sensation of raindrops upon her face.

She sat up amidst a field of ripe watermelons, an overwhelming feeling of nausea plaguing her body out of the blue whilst the rain came pouring down upon the field in a subtle manner, dark grey clouds expanding in every direction above her. She was, however, able to keep herself from releasing her stomach contents onto the dirt and reigned in her ailing state. As moments passed by, she found herself fatigued from the struggle at preventing herself from giving in to the intense urge, and resolved to rest in the fertile soil. She laid there in respite, contemplating possible solutions to the plethora of persistent issues that made up her predicament, especially as to why she was baring her skin for all the world to see-

 _I'm naked?!_

Upon this sudden realization, she fell under great duress, feeling her cheeks flame up. Seeing as to how she was exposed in the expansive harvest, she wanted to avoid unfortunate contact with anyone as to prevent unfathomable shame and embarrassment that could result from it. Luckily, it seemed that no passersby were near, and with the unrelenting rain and ominous fog lurking in these parts, she at least found solace among the pumpkins, and so she relaxed, if only momentarily. However, clothes were also a necessity to assist in abating the shivering of her body in response to the cold creeping in. She looked around desperately, searching for anything that could serve as a temporary garment to deal with the problem of her baring flesh in the open, and began wracking her mind-

In a sudden moment, Yuri heard whistling echoing from the north, and looked behind her to see a swinging light amongst the setting of low visibility, piercing the thick fog that had encroached upon the field. At this, her heart began pounding fervently, her mind now wracked with indefatigable trepidation, compelling her to hide herself amongst the abundant fruits both out of attempting to avoid great shame and out of fear of the stranger's intent, hoping that the ominous individual would not spot her.

As seconds went by, she heard footsteps trodding in an easygoing manner, the whistling getting closer and closer. With each footstep, Yuri had to summon more and more willpower to suppress the maddening urge to flee, as she knew that such an alarming action would most assuredly lead the stranger to chase after her, a possibility that she wanted to avert with great desire.

More time passed by, and eventually the whistling seemed to have receded, leading Yuri to let out a pent-up breath which she held out of paranoia. She sat up once again, pondering what to do first, finding clothes being chief among them.

 _Creak._

Yuri froze in fear, the foreboding creaking of a swinging lantern having reached her ears.

 _Creak._

She was wrought with terror, unable to speak or move.

 _Creak._

Finally, with mounting dread, Yuri began slowly turning her head towards the sound, and eventually met eyes with a most sinister look.

" _What are you doing in my field?"_

The unnerving tension and disconcerting atmosphere was too much for Yuri's already-frail mind to bear, and she felt consciousness fail her as she fainted out of horror, her eyes rolling up into the back of her head as she slumped against the watermelon behind her.

* * *

Yuri woke up suddenly, clenching at her heart in frightened anticipation from the preceding events prior to her fainting. Unprecedented was it to find herself on a wooden bed with a straw mattress and fur covers. From this she noticed that she was residing in a rather simple yet pleasant room, which in of itself was sizable. She moved off the bed, planting her feet on the floorboard below, which seemed to be well-maintained, as it only made a tiny creak as she got up off the bed.

To the far left of the bed, against the wall, was a writing desk with quills in a small glass bottle and blank parchments taking up some of the writing space, and even a lit candle presiding over the whole ensemble with a warm light, positioned far away from the papers so as to not catch fire to them. There were wall candles which were mounted against the timber frame of the house, illuminating only parts of the room. Yuri noticed that only a couple were lit for the night so as to signify the need to sleep. Beyond that, a wooden door was opposite of the wall next to the writing desk, an exit Yuri assumed would lead to another part of this house. A glass window took up a portion of the wall next to the bed, facing outwards, the light from inside only vaguely stretching out into the brooding darkness of the rainy night. Yuri got up, looking into the almost pitch-black landscape, occasionally spotting a flash of light, likely a lone firefly making its way through the night.

"I see you are awake."

Yuri turned around quickly, locking her stare upon the rather short farmer presiding informally by the doorway. It eluded Yuri as to how the person was able to open the door so quietly, but she dismissed the trivial thought. More pressing matters were at hand.

"W-who are you?" She asked in a rather clichéd manner. The farmer, who Yuri now distinguished to be quite young, judging off his smooth-looking skin and, of course, his short stature. He wore a light brown coif on his head (look it up) and sported a lace leather vest over a plain white tunic, as well as a pair of beige stockings tucked into leather boots. And yet it was his unwavering gaze upon Yuri that somewhat unsettled her. His dark blue eyes seemed to withhold some deeper and, most possibly, darker secrets from most onlookers.

"I should be asking you that question." He stated bluntly, attempting to hold his composure professionally, but looking quite inept doing so, constantly changing his arm positioning from placing his hands on his hips to crossing his arms, and yet his gaze did not waver from her. It was due to her bashful personality that she had a hard time saying anything under the duress of that unyielding stare.

"I-well-um…" She stuttered, her words fumbling over themselves like a stack of dominoes. She stopped herself, gathering her thoughts together. Once she had them in order, she spoke once again.

"My name is, uh, Yuri." She couldn't help her shyness. It was a part of her, but she was at least surprised to have said that sentence clearly and with a projected voice.

"Well..." The farmer was a bit put-off by her sudden change in conviction, but quickly reasserted himself. "...It is a pleasantry to make your acquaintance, eh, Yuri. I am Wolfe Fysher, farmer and owner of this land. But let us cast aside any trivial conversation so I can inquire as to why you showed up on my farm…"

Wolfe cleared his throat, a little embarrassed of the prior situation himself and occasionally averting his eyes, breaking his unwavering gaze which was supposed to work as an intimidation tactic. "...and why you were…..you know…..not clothed."

This elicited an even more bashful reaction from Yuri, who began doing that weird thing where a shy girl rubs her arms against her breasts, and is supposed to somehow signify that they are flustered (when really it's just clever fan service).

"You know, if you had just come to the estate, I-I would have gotten you some, uh, some clothes, so…."

Looking back to the situation, Wolfe was actually more than a little embarrassed when recalling just how uncomfortable it was when attempting to bring in the girl to his estate. He had to bring a sled, as he could not lift the girl up on his own, and was extremely flustered at having to carry the naked girl onto his sled with his own hands. He also recalled how tempting it was not stare at the ripest melons on the field at that time…

 _Stop that, you pervert,_ he thought, chiding himself.

"Mr. Wolfe…"

"H-huh?!" Wolfe looked back at her, having gotten immersed in his recent memories. He felt his cheeks flame up, and moved quickly to cover it by rubbing his face, as if contemplating what to do. "Wha-uh, what is it?"

Before him, Yuri suddenly bowed her upper body towards him, keeping her head lowered in shame.

"I'm sorry for that, Mr. Wolfe. I meant no harm to your crops or you, I swear!" Her sudden apologetic outburst was the result of her realizing that if she simply explained her situation, she would avoid a lot of painfully awkward conversation with this man.

Wolfe, who was already sheepish about the whole encounter, had his confidence in commanding the conversation broken, and was now taken aback even more than before by this sudden apology, stumbling over his words as Yuri did just moments ago.

"Wha-well, um, I-I, eh…"

Wolfe eventually stopped himself, looking down and sighing in exasperation. He looked back up at Yuri, who was still bent over.

"Okay, um, listen. First, I don't know why you're bending over. Second, I don't really mind what happened, and I decided that maybe I should help you find your feet first, seeing as you currently seem to have no help, money, or supplies whatsoever. So, i'll tell you what- damn it, raise your head already!"

Yuri raised her body upright once again, blushing with a sheepish look on her face.

"-As I was saying, I am willing to give you a bed and food here at my estate, especially since no one else really lives here, and maintaining it without having anyone occupy it is a pain in the ass, but you need to agree to my conditions." He stated, reestablishing that unwavering gaze with her once again. She nodded shyly.

"Really, all you need to do is help me with the work of these crops. It's not easy come harvest time, nor is planting the crops either. You will help with farming, as well as some other minor activities, such as gardening, running errands, etcetera. In exchange, i'll provide bedding and adequate food and clothing for you when necessary." With that, Wolfe stuck his hand out for a handshake to signify the offer.

"Do we have a deal?"

Yuri thought of this for a second. As of right now, she had no idea where or who she was. This was an opportunity to find out more about this world, and, of course, the bedding, food, and clothing were obviously incentive factors. After all, where was she gonna go if not here?

 _Might as well,_ Yuri thought to herself.

With this, Yuri tentatively took his hand, and the two shook hands, solidifying what was soon to be one hell of an adventure.


	4. Chapter 4: The First Signs

_For this chapter, it is suggested you use the following videos on YouTube to enhance the ambience while reading:_

 ** _For Monika Section:_**

 _\- Raining Sound Ambience_

 _\- Fantasy Ambience Sound | Enchanted Lands_

 ** _For Sayori Section:_**

 _-_ _Raining Sound Ambience_

 _\- Fantasy Ambience Sound | Enchanted Lands_

 ** _For Natsuki Section:_**

 _\- Windy Ambience Sounds_

 _\- Fantasy Ambience Sounds | Enchanted Lands_

 ** _For Yuri Section:_**

 _-_ _Windy Ambience Sounds_

 _\- Some Farming music shit like, uh, Stardew Valley music_

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 4: The First Signs**

"Looks like we'll be arriving at the village soon enough."

Rulf and Monika were continuing their walk down the trail, still being peppered with droplets of rain, which had now turned into a torrent, making the journey much more uncomfortable than before. As such, Rulf offered up the fur coat he had taken out of his bag to Monika, assuming that she was freezing, which was evident when he glanced at her and noticed her shivering quite a bit. He swore to get some clothes for this indecent woman as soon as possible when they arrived at the town. After all, he had just brought in a big haul from some rather shady methods, involving a nobleman's coach and the wealth he had decided to transport along with himself.

Monika looked up at Rulf gratefully, and even with a bit of something more in her eyes. Rulf decided that it would be best for him if they just got to town first before he made any more eye contact and initiated another intimate situation.

 _SMACK!_

It was an unpleasant surprise when a piece of ice came down from the heavens and popped Rulf right in the head.

"OW, FU-" Woah, buddy! This is a T-rated story, you can't be droppin' F-bombs like that.

And so, Rulf clutched the top of his head in reaction, releasing a string of curses as the point of contact throbbed, giving him a mild headache.

"Oh my god, Rulf!" Monika, witnessing the bizarre occurrence and immediately placing her hands on Rulf's back and left arm. She recoiled a bit, still not used to the feeling of being able to physically touch things, but eventually she put her hands back on him, trying to….what was it?...oh yes, reassure him. She was not sure how to approach a situation like this, as she had never experienced anything like it before, but the soft fabric of the tunic felt good on her fingers, and she began shuddering pleasantly from the feeling, rubbing the fabric softly. This was counterproductive to her previous methods of reassurement, however, as now Rulf was not only suffering from a headache, but also creeped out by Monika's seemingly-perverted touching.

"Ah-fu(quack)ing Hekk, that damned stone…..oh, for the love of Tog, Arietta, stop rubbing me, you disturbed lout."

"O-oh, my bad, Rulf! I just….your shirt is so…. _oooohhhhh_."

She shuddered once more as she began rubbing the tunic, prompting Rulf to shrug her hand off. "Damn it!" He said loudly. "Let's just get to the next town before-"

 _ **THUD!**_

Before Rulf could get another word out, a piece of hail the size of a small dog smashed into the ground in between them, eliciting a rather unmanly-like yelp from Rulf, who had to focus his willpower on not dropping a massive deuce in his trousers.

"You know what? Let's find refuge in closer shelter for now." He stated, immediately grabbing Monika by the hand and pulling her down the path, running, as hail began showering them from above, evoking the occasional 'ouch!', 'ah!' or 'OH FU** MY FU**ING HEAD, SHI* IN THE FU**ING A**, TOG HELP ME, WHY?!'. But only occasionally.

Eventually, the duo was able to break through the outskirts of the forest, even seeing the spiraling town of Northham in the distance.

Even with the violent torrent of rain and hail coupled with the frightening thunder, the town's lights shone brightly through the pervading mist caused by the weather. In the distance, they could see several town buildings, most lit up as it was not too late into the night, and yet-

"Okay, this isn't the time for sightseeing, Arietta, let's get in this lodge here so we can get out of this Tog-awful weather!"

Rulf shouted, pointing at a nearby wooden lodge staked at the very outskirts of the forest. With this, he pulled on Monika once more, both of them damn near jumping inside to the comfort of the warmth that came from shelter with two walls and a roof.

Upon getting inside, Rulf slammed the door behind him, locking it so as to keep out both the unrelenting storm and uninvited intruders alike. It was only after a large piece of hail smashed through the window next to the door that Rulf realized they were still not in safe waters yet.

"Arietta! Grab the boards over there-" He pointed to a stack of wooden planks adjacent to the door. "-and start propping them against the windows!"

Monika looked over to where he pointed and then back, nodding firmly. She then ran over, slipping and sliding, to the boards. As she grabbed them, she recoiled once again, surprised by the unexpected feeling of something new. This time, the coarse wood was a rather unpleasant thing to touch, but she was determined not to let Rulf down, and grabbed the whole bundle, dragging it and laying them against the windows, firmly planting one end into the frame of the window sills, the other end on the floorboards beneath them. Once this was done, she stood, panting, as sweat came dribbling down her face. She wiped it off, looking at the droplets, staring at their texture with fascination.

Rulf, having seen the windows being secured, slouched against the door behind him, sighing in relief. Finally, they were safe. At least, he assumed. He still hadn't gotten to trust the Arietta girl quite yet, and in fact wasn't even planning to. He had hoped they could get to town and say their goodbyes there, but this unexpected storm had led to some rather unfortunate circumstances. At least for him.

Monika once again looked up at Rulf after having tested the sweat droplets on the back of her hand (and concluding they were indeed amazing) and smiled. This was once again contradictory to what she had intended, nevertheless, as Rulf felt chills slither down his spine. Not many people in this world, much less in these conditions, would smile often, if at all. It was a dangerous and frightening reality, filled with the threat of bandits (ironic, Rulf), bloodthirsty warlords, wild animals, power-hungry nobles and even their fellow neighbors.

So when this woman, who came out of nowhere, smiled like that, _in this situation_ , Rulf couldn't help but feel that he had been given great misfortune on this day. Nevertheless, he got up, shaking off what droplets of rain he could, and decided to take a look at the surrounding cabin.

The floorboards were made from cut planks of dark oak wood, the walls consisted of stacked lumber, the roof made of straw reinforced with clay. All in all, one big fire hazard. Looking at the interior, a fireplace resided at the opposite end of the door, stacked with burnt logs, ashes taking up most of the brick surface below. The remaining unbroken windows had all types of stains on them, and there was a set of chairs accompanied with a table taking place in front of a makeshift kitchen, which contained a brewing pot hung upon a metal stand positioned above a smaller set of a fireplace. For all of Rulf's luck, it seemed there was one _double bed_ adjacent to the fireplace.

With all this in mind, Rulf came to the conclusion that the place was in shoddy condition, but decided that they could put the place together a bit, at least for however long the storm lasted. He resolved to simply wait for now, using this time to think about his next steps. He walked up to one of the chairs at the table, took a seat, and leaned back placing his legs leisurely on the table, placing his hands behind his head, contemplating what to do next.

Whilst he was deep in thought, Monika took up the seat next to him, planting her elbows on the table, her hands on her cheeks, staring amorously at Rulf. This was exactly what Rulf wanted to avoid, but decided that if he was gonna be stuck in this weather for Tog knows how long, he would at least get to know his…. _eugh_ …..roommate. Dropping his legs off the table, he planted his forearms on the table, trying to assume an intimidating position.

"Alright, now that we're stuck here, you need to tell me where you came from." Rulf asked in a no-nonsense tone.

Monika seemed to have not heard him, as she kept staring at him longingly, throwing Rulf off his mojo. He shook his head once more, this time snapping his fingers in front of Monika's face so as to knock her out of her trance. "Hey," He snapped. "I just asked you a question."

Monika broke out of it, as she slightly jerked her head back with a somewhat-dazed expression. She then cleared her throat and spoke.

"Y-yes, Rulf?"

"I asked where you came from."

"Oh. Right…."

She took a breath, trying to formulate the best way to present her story.

"I came from another world."

Rulf sat there, losing his composition, staring dumb-founded, at Monika. However, it didn't seem too unbelievable, as he recalled earlier when he had just pulled her out of a _portal_.

"If that's so," He started. "Then can you tell me what that world was like?"

Immediately, Monika looked away a plethora of emotions swirling in her eyes. This piqued Rulf's interest, leading him to lean in slightly, waiting for her to start.

"Well?" He asked in anticipation.

Monika seemed to gather her feelings and finally spoke.

"It was….hell." She started.

From there, she told Rulf her entire story, from the epiphany she had of when she realized that she was the only sentient being in a fake world, to her three fake friends, to the other sentient person she had found, and finally to how she had tried to erase herself, and her revival thereafter. Throughout the whole explanation, Rulf couldn't help but believe the words coming out of her mouth. It didn't sound fake at all, and she gave no hint as to lying about it through her voice.

"That was when a light opened up….A hand broke through and offered its salvation to me. I grabbed it, and I found it to be you-" She grabbed Rulf's hand. "-that had freed me. You, Rulf, you had released me from that hell, that abyss of horror. You gave me _salvation_. And I love you _so much_ because of that. I will _never_ forget what you did for me. Oh god, Rulf, I love you so much, and now I can actually tell you that, and you can respond because i'm _here_. I'm _real_. I get to experience these things because of you, and I will always love you because of that, Rulf." She felt the overwhelming urge to kiss him, and so pulled Rulf towards her, locking lips with him for a moment. Rulf was absolutely flabbergasted, sweating profusely, as he had not expected the move at all. For a moment, they sat there, enamored by the moment, before Rulf's senses came back to him, and he lurched backwards, falling off his chair, releasing a string of curses coupled with exclaimed questions.

Monika sat there, looking at Rulf once more, this time with an obvious sense of lustful connotations in her eyes. She got up, walked over to Rulf, who was still laying on the floorboards in a dumbstruck state, and planted herself over him, laying her hand on his chest.

"Rulf, I don't know how to express my love, now that I'm here. I've been dreaming of this moment for god knows how long, and now that it's here, I don't know what to do. I want to press myself against you tightly. I want to kiss you. I want to intertwine my soul with yours. I WANT YOU!" She shouted in such a passionate manner, once again kissing Rulf, pressing herself against him, holding his hands tightly. Rulf, on the other hand, was now in a stupified state, having absolutely no idea what was going on. He was beginning to give in to the heated moment, his primitive instincts filling his head with sexual thoughts.

BUT! Rulf had not gotten through this cruel world this long without a steel will, and so, with the willpower of a hundred suns, was able to snap himself out of the mood, pushing Monika off and gasping heavily. He got up shakily, his whole body filled with lust, and yet his mind remaining resolved. He pointed his finger at Monika, establishing (with much stuttering) his claim.

"L-L-Listen up, A-Arietta! I-I'm N-not gonna ke-keep t-t-taking this!"

He shook his head, this time speaking with a more firm tone.

"Arietta! Regardless of however you feel right now, i'm not your sex toy, so we need to establish some ground rules if we're gonna stay here together for tonight!"

He took a deep breath.

"First rule! Enough with the constant sexual conduct, you need to pull yourself together, because I cannot keep (withstanding) this unrelenting lusting after myself. If you are filled with such thoughts, then go take out your primal desires upon a-a-uh…..an object or something. Second! If you are going to stay with me for tonight, you need to learn what personal space is. That means no up-close amorous looks, no touching me inappropriately, and ESPECIALLY no rubbing of my damn tunic! Third! If you are going to bunk here, you need to do what I say, which means that if I need you to do something for me, like fix a window or quickly get some wood from outside, you will do it. Do you understand this?" He stared at her, attempting to intimidate her, to which she only blushed and looked down at the floorboard, smiling. He lost all his composition once again, sighing in resignation. He asked the question in a more deflated tone.

"Do you understand, Arietta?"

Monika looked up, the amorous look still present, but seemingly reigned in by her mind.

"I just wanted to inform you that my name is actually Monika."

Rulf was already aware that she had been using a fake name, so there wasn't much surprise there.

"Okay….well, _Monika_ , do you at least get what I am saying?"

Monika looked down once more, sighing.

"Yes. I understand, Rulf."

"Er...great. Okay, well, i'm going to go sleep now, because tomorrow we're heading down to the-"

Rulf, upon seeing the only bed in the lodge, which was a double, clenched up, even more flustered than before by the irony of the situation. Monika, who had also seen the double bed by now, giggled shyly.

 _Whoever furnished this lodge, f*ck you,_ Rulf thought with bitter anger.

"You know what? I'll sleep on the floor for tonight. You can take the bed." Rulf proclaimed, immediately moving to what he deemed to find as the most comfortable position on the floor and plopping himself down.

"Are you sure about that, Rulf? We could just _share_ the bed-"

"Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs give you dysentery!" Rulf abruptly interrupted, immediately feinting a snore so as to hope that Monika would simply go to bed. She sighed, walking over to the bed and getting under the covers. She exhaled in bliss, feeling the warmth of the covers envelope her in a cozy aura. Within minutes, she was out, having been fatigued from even before her time in this world.

…

…

…

After hearing her fall asleep, Rulf sighed uneasily. The floorboards were not comfortable at all, considering it was hard wood, and he had no covers nor pillow to soften his position. He groaned in frustration, and decided to take off his gear, laying it to the side, piling up his softer gear in hopes of making a somewhat-comfortable pillow, to no avail. For around 10 minutes, he shifted around in discomfort, unable to sleep. He knew this would not do if he was to accomplish what was necessary tomorrow. At this time, he looked over at the comfy-looking bed with a longing.

After a few more minutes, Rulf had enough. He decided that if he could just get in the bed without waking Monika, he could make this as not-awkward as possible. He was not ecstatic with doing it in the first place, as there were most obviously several things wrong with what he was about to do, but he decided that now was not the time for such trivial matters. He got up, trying his best not to step on any especially-loud creaking floorboards, and, after taking off his boots, climbed into the bed, facing away from Monika. The bed was indeed comfy, and he sighed in elation. The thoughts of being in bed with a woman began to fade away as his drowsiness overwhelmed him, eventually causing him to close his eyes.

….

….

….

Monika turned over and, upon seeing Rulf's back, had to contain herself from squealing in ecstasy. She snuggled in close to him, suppressing the overwhelming urge of wrapping her arms around him so as to not awaken him and cause a whole situation to unfold. She smiled as her eyes closed once again, utterly joy-filled to be alive.

* * *

Sayori was intrigued by a book she had found in one of the woven baskets inside the cart when she heard Wesley's voice from behind her.

"Hey, Marigold, we're here."

Sayori, upon hearing this, got out from inside the cover of the cart, peeking her head out from under to look around. They were in a somewhat nice-looking alley, the cart positioned next to a rather decorated stone house.

"Where are we, Wesley?" She inquired.

"We're at my house, Mari." He answered in kind.

"Really?" She once more took a look at the establishment. "Seems nice." She commented bluntly.

Wesley laughed. "I would hope so," He says heartily. "This place cost me a good amount."

With that, he walked around behind the cart, taking off the cover and rolling it up, laying it on the inside of the cart. He then beckoned Sayori forward with his hand. She took the signal and got out of the cart, her feet making a slight _squish_ sound as her feet hit the wet cobblestone.

"Let's get this cargo inside, Mari."

"Alright."

They began unpacking the baskets and bringing them inside. Once they were done with that, Wesley toured Sayori around his house, showing her the kitchen, bedrooms, storage, and other accommodations of the house. Throughout it all, Sayori made insightful comments, which seemed to give gratification to Wesley, who trailed behind her as she explored the place, grinning widely at every remark made.

Eventually, Wesley showed Sayori to his guest room, to which her eyes sparkled as she looked at all the fine furniture. She skipped around the room, giggling in joy as she took in the spacious environment. She catapulted herself onto the bed, rolling around on it as she felt the soft texture of the linen covers. Wesley chuckled as he leisurely watched the site.

"Now, with that aside," Wesley began. "I actually wanted to ask you some questions."

Sayori stopped rolling around in the bed, getting up and looking at Wesley in anticipation of said questions.

"Do you….have any place to stay right now?"

Sayori instantly shook her head. Obviously, having no memory meant she did not remember if she even had any place to go to.

"Oh, I see. Well, I'd be willing to give you housing for now. What do you say, Mari?"

Sayori perked up at the question. She then smiled, nodding vigorously. There was no reason to think much about it. She didn't have anywhere else to go, so what other reasonable option was there besides this? On top of that, Wesley was such a nice guy, so she didn't think much to say yes.

"That is fantastic! Well, with that said, I actually have some other things I want to broach following this…."

"Ask away, Wesley."

"Well, you see…."

By the end of the lengthy conversation, Sayori had taken in just about everything she could.

"So," She started. "You plan on starting up a big trade empire across all of Uropa, and you want me to assist you in these endeavors?"

"That's correct, Mari."

"I am fascinated by the idea. Consider me in!"

Sayori, despite her outwardly fuzzy and childish personality, was very much a realist, and saw this as an opportunity to explore more into this world she was suddenly thrust into.

"Great! Well then, I should start teaching you about the finer points of trade, the market, prices and such…"

Wesley stopped himself.

"Of course, I do believe a lady needs her rest. Tell you what, Mari, tomorrow we'll start on learning such points, and then we'll move on to other things. In the meantime, please get a good rest."

"Thank you so much, Wesley. I'm glad to have met you."

Wesley seemed to be thrown off but the unexpected compliment, but regained his composure and smiled.

"And I am glad to have met you, Mari."  
With that, Wesley closed the door, leaving the room to be dimly lit by the single wall candle affixed next to the door. Sayori sighed, stretching, and then laid herself out among the bed. It was quite comfy, and Sayori was, as she said out loud, glad to have met Wesley. She got under the covers, feeling the fatigue pile upon her eyes already. It was once again that she felt that empty pain in her heart, but this time it was less impactful than before. She fell asleep, wondering what the next day would hold.

 _ **POUND!**_

Sayori woke up, gasping for air, feeling as if she had just died only moments ago. She felt for her throat, and sighed in relief after feeling that she was not choking. But wait….why was she checking for being choked?

She didn't have time to consider that, as it was not the feeling of being choked more so than her heart beginning to hurt. Not one of those 'oh my heart hurts because of blah blah blah' moments. No, it was a moment in which her heart actually ached, not with love, but with pain. She felt an emptiness entrap her emotions and feelings, a void suck in her happiness within seconds. She sat on the bed, staring aimlessly at the ground, her eyes having been devoid of any passion within a _heartbeat_.

 _Why am I alive_ , She thought with such disheartening depression. _Why are we here? Just to suffer?_

Her thoughts swirled around in her head, slowly, as if a collection of all her fears and doubts were cast into a broiling pot of black tar and stuck inside her head.

She felt hurt by so many things. Wesley shouldn't be caring for someone so undeserving as her.

She felt her motivation, her enthusiasm, her passion fade away as her heart was gripped with unrelenting despair. She fell back in bed, staring up at the ceiling, crying silently in despair. She couldn't even muster up the ability to wipe her own tears. She was a sad sack of flesh, nothing more than a disappointment upon this world.

She couldn't remember her past, nor could she possibly understand her reason for being. Why was she, among all people, given such an opportunity? She held herself tightly, wishing the darkness in her heart would dissipate. And yet it remained.

No matter how much she tried to hold the covers to her, she felt cold, as if she was born to be punished by the world.

 _Please, let it fade away_ , she thought desperately. _I don't like this feeling. It hurts._

She held her pillow, crying into it. She felt hopeless. She felt useless. She felt-

"HEY-O!"

Without warning, Wesley bursted into the room, swinging the door open, beaming at Sayori who, of course, screamed in fright upon the startling appearance. Wesley laughed heartily.

"Looks like it's time to teach you about T-R-A-D-E!"

Sayori immediately forgot about her depression, instead getting frustrated with Wesley's unexpected behavior.

"Wesley! What if I was getting dressed in here?!"

Immediately, Sayori saw Wesley grunt in discomfort at the question. He slowly began closing the door until Sayori could only see a sliver of him through the crack, to which he was looking away, flustered.

"We-well, come out when you're ready to….you know….learn!" He said, laughing nervously. With that, he closed the door, and Sayori could hear the sound of footsteps receding down the hallway. She sighed, then chuckled at how ridiculous the moment was. She began getting dressed in the new clothing set out for her, and headed down the hall.

She arrived at the front door, to which Wesley was leaning against the wall next to it, grinning, eyes full of the want for what was to come. She smiled at him, feeling her spirits being uplifted just by his very sight.

With that, they both walked out the door, and Wesley began her tour around town, to which she noted the storm last night had disappeared completely, leaving sunlight to fill the town with a fuzzy warmth that was very much needed after such a torrent of nature. He showed her the nearby tavern, the many restaurants and lined houses, the bridge that extended over a river and led to one of the exits out of town, known as the Extended Wing. He showed her the arches that characterized many parts of the town, the barracks of the military that were stationed there, the blacksmith's shop, the carpenter's workplace, the tailor, the library, and so many more places around town. Sayori could only gaze in wonder at all the sights before her. Many of the buildings were built over two stories or more, and so towered above Sayori so that she could only look straight up to see the sky. Catwalks stretched between certain buildings, suggesting multi-functional buildings or trade deals would constantly be at hand. The street was made of smooth cobblestone, street lamps (which weren't lit up since it was morning) were spaced out among the sides of the street, and villagers walked to and fro, all with their own plans for business.

"Now, Mari, I need to show you the marketplace, the most important of our destinations."

Sayori looked over at Wesley, who gestured for Sayori to keep up with him. They began walking over to the marketplace, which was positioned in the town square, a massive expanse of greenery coupled with intersections of cobblestone streets, which were lined with market stalls offering almost anything of everything. Wesley led Sayori, by hand, to his market stall, which was much bigger in comparison to the others, taking up the entire space of one patch of grass, and was made of wood rather than the usual cloth-and-post setups of other stalls (Just look up a medieval market stall, and you'll get the picture).

"Wow!" Sayori exclaimed, looking the structure up and down, her eyes blazing with excitement. "What are we gonna do here, Wesley?"

Wesley looked back at her, grinning ambitiously.

"We're gonna make a profit."

From there, Wesley began the educational journey enlightening Sayori on the ways of the market, showing her the intricacies of base prices, fluctuation, market value, and the rest of that jargon. She took in the information at an amazing rate, asking intriguing questions and applying it to potential situations. At the end of it, A good 5 hours had passed by, with Sayori taking in the majority of the information one needs to know about such a complex network of deals. On top of that, she had written down notes alongside the ones Wesley had prepared for himself. She was truly fascinated with the whole thing, and wanted to apply herself to the market as soon as possible.

"Wooh, that was quite a lesson. Well, Mari, I think you did well today, tomorrow is when we'll go out and apply-"

That was when he heard Sayori begin to cry unexpectedly. He looked over, alarmed by the sudden turn of tone. She was slumped over the desk she had been using, her head pressed against the mahogany surface, her tears sliding down her cheeks in irregular intervals. Wesley rushed over, placing his hands on her shoulder reassuringly.

"What's wrong, Mari? I'm sorry if this was too much to take in, but…"  
Sayori couldn't respond, as the cold depression was back, once again enveloping her in a hopeless abyss of horrible feelings. She began wailing, wishing the dreadful sensation would fade away like before. Wesley began to become affected by the sight, feeling as if he was going to cry if she continued any further. He came upon a decision. He steeled his emotions and put on a confident smile.

"Tell you what, Mari, how about we go for a more recreational trip around town, huh? I'll let you see the wonders of this beautiful municipality!"

With that, he grabbed Sayori by the hand, picking her up and holding her in his arms for a second, cradling her, as she sobbed into his chest. He was still confounded as to what had triggered such an emotional outburst, but he was determined to absolve her of such an awful aberration. He led her, by the hands, out of the establishment.

"Wait here whilst I get some things."

"*sniffle* Okay…"

He went back inside and began compiling some savings into a coin pouch, creating quite a feasible cash cow of a wallet. He stuffed the pouch in a sewn pocket inside his tunic, and then, putting on a big smile once more, walked outside, taking Sayori by the hand and leading her around town.

From the theaters to the plethora of shops, Wesley tried to show Sayori the best of times, paying for shows and opportunities, buying her gifts of all types, and keeping up a positive facade the whole time. She even gorged herself on a ton of food at one restaurant, which was effective at running Wesley low on funds. Eventually, however, the whole ensemble seemed to have the desired effect, as Sayori began to be rid of the depression, eventually smiling and giggling as he led her around, showing her a good time. By the end of the trip, it was almost midnight, the lamp lights lining the street now lit up, creating their own dim, orange spheres of light, having a polka dot effect upon the cobblestone.

As Wesley and Sayori walked home, Sayori looked over at him, a tired expression on her face. She smiled, an expression that struck Wesley in the heart like a dagger.

"Thank you for this, Wesley. I had a great time tonight."

"N-no problem, Mari." He smiled back, this time a genuine expression of the happiness he felt in his heart.

Sayori giggled once more, and so they walked back to the house. Once there, Wesley accompanied Sayori to her room, opening the door softly as she walked in and fell on the bed, almost instantly falling asleep. Wesley simpered (i'm tired of writing 'smile' so much, so i'm resorting to extreme measures) at the cute expression on her face as she was asleep. He walked over, picking her up to lay her under the covers, then pulling the cover up to her neck, tucking her in.

"Goodnight, Mari."

He then walked out of the room steadily, making sure not to hit a creaky floorboard and wake her from her slumber, and closed the door behind him softly. As he laid against the wall, he set himself upon making sure he would protect this woman at all costs.

 _At all costs._

* * *

"You dumbass! The sign said to go left!" Natsuki shouted at Malin as he began walking down the right trail, whistling with an oblivious mindset coordinating his moves. Only after hearing her adorable yelling did he turn around, that dumb look plastered over his face once again, as if he had just learned something awesome.

"Oh, my bad, Suzette-"

"It's Susanna, dummy!"

"- I was just looking at this butterfly here, and next thing I know, i'm walking down the wrong trail!"

He laughed heartily, obviously entertained by the prospect of being misled. This only irked Natsuki more as she let out frustrated yell. The two had spent quite a while getting to Northham, and even had to spend last night under a thicket of trees for protection against the hailstorm- yes, hailstorm- that had ruined their walk. By morning, the two were soaking wet and covered in mud. Natsuki groaned in discomfort, but Malin laughed off the uncomfortable feelings with a hearty chuckle.

"'Tis be the burden of travel." He said, the first wise thing that had come out of his mouth since Natsuki had met him.

From there, they continued onward. The entire way to Northham, this imbecile had somehow been amazing at directions, but a complete dolt when it came to following said directions, constantly moving off the path to go chase or satisfy his curiosity in some trivial matter or material. At this point, Natsuki contemplated how fast they would get to Northham if she just simply hit him with a rock again and dragged him along. It would obviously be no easy task, but it seemed a lot more viable than letting this dipnut continue to lose his focus.

She sighed in frustration, watching him walk back to the crossroads and take the proper way, wondering if they would get there by the end of the month.

Eventually, they did get to the town, and Natsuki was amazed by the grandeur of the place. Although there was no sort of outer wall circling the town as she had assumed there would be, there were armored guards taking up every opening into the town, yet they looked completely chilled, making Natsuki come to the conclusion that raids rarely happened, if at all. A river ran under a bridge that seemed to be one of the few entry points into the town, and was quite broad in width, as a guard post was built there, overlooking the exterior of the town and any incoming outsiders into the village.

It was then that she noticed Malin conversing with one of the guards, recounting his past traveling experiences and such. The guard seemed to know who he was, as he treated him as friends would treat each other upon meeting again. She walked up to the conversation, waiting for Malin to finish, when he looked down at her, grinning brightly, suddenly pulling her in at his side, to which she yelped in a cute manner, then became flustered by his unexpected action.

"This is Suzette, a girl I met at the ruins where I was doin' my mission!" Malin stated bluntly to the guard.

"Oh, is that so? Well ain't she a cutie." He said, chuckling.

Natsuki was pissed as f*ck by this, and began shouting at the two about how dumb they were, to which they laughed enthusiastically. Eventually, the conversation subsisted, and as Malin gave his goodbye to the guard, he led Natsuki to the nearest tavern he was staying at, the Fried Chicken (famously named after the chicken that had bravely guarded the town against a fearsome dragon. As the name implies, it did not end well for the chicken, but it was said he served as a tasty meal for the dragon, who left the town alone after eating such a delectable piece of meat). He went to the front desk and paid for reservations in one of the rooms, to which he then laid his gear down in there, only keeping on his tunic, pants, boots, and a small dagger hanging on his belt. He noticed that Natsuki was still wearing his over-sized extras, and decided to go buy some essentials for them.

"Hey, Suzette-"

"Susanna."

"-How about we go buy you some equipment and better clothes?"

Natsuki nodded firmly. "Sounds good." She said.

Malin grinned. "Alrighty then, let's get going."

And so they went, roaming around the markets for clothing and even some extra equipment for Natsuki. As time passed by, Natsuki began finding herself to grow attached to this man, most of the time staying close behind him when he engaged in trade deals for his money. At one point, a merchant noticed her standing behind Malin.

"So where'd you find that child?" He asked ignorantly.

Natsuki was instantly miffed by this man, and was about to fire an insult at him when Malin laughed loudly.

"Her? She's my comrade, Suzette."

The merchant snickered. " _She's_ your comrade? I don't think you want to rely on a little girl as your backup in battle. You got some good jokes, buddy." He laughed.

At this point, Natsuki was ready to take the nearest sharp object and plunge it into his neck-

 **SLAM!**

The merchant jumped backwards, alarmed by the sudden noise. Malin had slammed his fist on the surface of the trading platform, sneering at the merchant with an expression that would make any of the faint of heart pass out instantly. His face was twisted into a wicked grin, as if he was contemplating what kind of worthless insect the merchant would pass as.

" _Listen up, buddy-"_ He said the word with utter contempt. " _I'm not here for small talk. I'm here to work out some damn prices, so if you can't keep your mouth shut about my affairs, I have half a mind to meddle in yours. So what's it gonna be, you ingrate?"_

By this point, the merchant, upon taking the intimidation upfront, coupled with Malin's behavior, his stocky build, and the absolute contempt enveloping every word that came out of his mouth, was shaking in his shoes. He could barely speak without a stutter accompanying his every word.

"I-I-I d-didn't m-mean to-to b-be rude ab-about i-it-"

" _Give me my FUCKING prices or i'll stamp out your store like a roach on the ground."_

By the end of it, Malin got 80% off all his prices, and had bought quite a collection of clothing for Natsuki, who was now enamored with Malin for having stood up for her in such a straightforward fashion. She clung to his arm as they walked down the cobblestone road. The merchant, meanwhile, was angry at having been intimidated by the individual. He went to a fellow merchant's stall to broach him with the encounter. He was relatively new to town, having heard that there was fortune to be found here from outside merchants that had visited the place, and so bought a stall space here for just that reason. He was interested to know why that buyer from earlier was so crass out of nowhere.

Upon hearing about the situation, the female merchant shrugged in confusion.

"That's Malin, and he's always so friendly and upbeat, even when he's working out prices. He's not good at it at all, but us local merchants appreciate his tone so much we give him good prices. I've never heard of him threatening or intimidating merchants, though, so you must have done something to piss him off personally."

Now that the first merchant thought about it, he did make an off-hand comment about the girl behind him, but he didn't think that would elicit such an extreme reaction.

"Just take better care to watch what you say next time." The female merchant concluded.

The first merchant nodded and waved goodbye, heading back to his stall, his interest now piqued as to the importance of that girl…

As Natsuki and Malin walked down the road, Natsuki's attitude of him changed a good bit, as she was now provoking him to go and muse themselves on many things, from a lone performer in the streets, to a stray dog to which they chased around for a bit. They continued on like this, amusing themselves on the small things in life.

It was not long before the sun began to set, and Malin was about to take Natsuki back to the tavern when he heard her groan. He looked back to see her holding her stomach, looking hungry.

"Hey, before we head back, why don't we grab a bite to eat?" He asked her.

She looked up gratefully, nodding her head in response. Once again, she clung to his arm as they walked, and so they set forth to a small and humble restaurant, the The Riled-up Rooster (A lot of these town buildings seemed to be very oriented around birds). There, Malin, who still had a good portion of funds left over from his past missions, bought Natsuki a sizable meal, to which her mouth salivated in hunger. She wolfed down the meal without a care for manners. They sat there for some time, cracking jokes and making conversation, laughing, occasionally Natsuki getting angry at a comment made by Malin involving her size.

After an hour or so, they walked out of the restaurant, Natsuki with a full belly and Malin with a full heart. They made their way back to the Fried Chicken and took their respective beds. As Malin began taking off his shirt, Natsuki sat on her bed, shyly clinging to the covers, looking down with a nervous look on her face. She finally took a breath and looked up at Malin.

"Hey, Malin…." Her voice trailed off. Malin looked over, in the process of taking off his tunic.

"Yeah?"

"Th-thanks for the meal, and, you know, the other stuff."

Malin beamed at her, suddenly walking over and picking her up in a bear hug, to which she once again yelped in surprise.

"You're so damn cute, Suzette!" He said, laughing sweetly.

"H-hey! Let go of me, you ass!" She yelled with a flustered tone, pretending to struggle. Really, though, she hoped he would keep hugging her like that. After a moment, he put her down on the bed once again, the grin still present on his face.

"It's no problem, Suzette." He said. "You gave me a good time, as well, so let's call it even."

Natsuki's cheeks blazed at the casual response, and she averted her eyes to the side, mumbling an 'alright' out of the side of her mouth.

The two then went to sleep, Malin turning off the lights and then getting in bed. Natsuki turned over towards the wall, closing her eyes and smiling, looking forward to the next day.

* * *

"No, Yuri, that's a- what the...why are you caressing the sickle? Stop that."

"W-what? Oh, s-sorry…"

Wolfe walked over and swiped the sickle from her hands, pointing to the the house.

"Just-*sigh*...just go sweep up the dust in the house for now, Yuri."

Yuri nodded shyly and rushed over to the establishment, tripping once and yelping in surprise. Wolfe sighed once more in exasperation. This woman was pretty built to be able to do manual labor, but she seemed to be so wrapped up in her own mind half the time that she became clumsy because of it. Wolfe was determined to remove that mindset of hers and craft a more focused vision for her. He picked up the sickle, taking a look at it out of mild absent-mindedness. He shook his head, realizing he was being hypocritical, and began harvesting the wheat growing from the cultivated field.

Inside, Yuri took up the broom and began sweeping the bottom floor, being mindful of where she swept the soot. She glanced curiously at the spacious kitchen adjacent to the stairs she was sweeping beside. It was a multitude of many facets and opportunities, serving as a place for recipes to be enriched, foods to be prepared, and ideas to be developed. More than that, it was something that intrigued Yuri's complex mind beyond mere whims or desires. She wished to be useful to Wolfe in any way possible as of this moment, and she could see herself providing a rather delicious meal for him as he came inside from a hard day at work in the fields.

She shook her head, dispelling the bizarre notions almost as immediately as they had come to her. She continued sweeping until she had reasoned that her task was finished. She laid down her broom and, with her hands on her hips, glanced contentedly at her work. The floors were almost immaculate, the dust prior to her onerous labor having been expelled out of the cabin. She assumed that Wolfe would have more strenuous drudgery awaiting her outside, and so she traversed down the stairs, making her way out the door to take on headfirst her next assignment.

As she had thought, Wolfe was indeed waiting. To her astonishment, Wolfe had finished harvesting the first field within the 30 minutes it took her to sweep the cabin, bundles of wheat laying in orderly piles amidst the area.

"Well, Yuri, did you finish the task?"

"Yes, Wolfe."

"Very well, then together, we shall get set on harvesting the rest of the fields out there." He pointed to the plethora of ripe, unharvested crops that lined the horizon. Yuri gazed in shock at the labor-intensive work before her with a dread for the oncoming monotonous toil.

"You want to harvest all of _that_ today?!" She exclaimed.

"Yep. Gotta be done." Wolfe fired back his response immediately.

Yuri groaned, already feeling her muscles ache from the back-breaking travail that was to come. And yet, she couldn't help but feel even more sympathetic for the small fellow in front of her. He seemed to have no hidden farmhands assisting him with the toil, and so she could only conclude he had to complete this god-awful labor every time it arrived. And since he looked to be somewhere around 15-16, she had to wonder how he was able to accomplish such an arduous task. Nevertheless, she raised her head, albeit shyly, as she was still not yet completely comfortable around this boy.

"Th-then let's get it done." She said with a surge of shaky confidence, reflected in her comment. Wolfe was not one to smile, but Yuri could see newfound respect in her conviction present in his eyes.

And so the work began, with Yuri and Wolfe harvesting the fields of many types of crops, from wheat, to corn, to turnips, to carrots. As the day grew on, and the sun stretched over the horizon, casting its long shadowy tendril over the land, Yuri could feel her muscles become very sore, as she kept swinging the sickle to and fro, hewing the wheat and corn, whilst Wolfe plucked vegetables from the ground, placing them in a woven basket. By the end of it, the two had completed their grueling grind, both of them sweating profusely as a result of the sun beating down on them from above and their extended physical exertion of harvesting the fields.

When the two had made their way back to the now luxurious-looking cabin, Yuri collapsed upon the steps of the cabin, panting heavily. Wolfe dropped his baskets filled with recently-plucked vegetables onto the dirt below, planting one knee on the ground so as to avoid completely falling over. He looked up at Yuri, giving a thumbs up so as to say _good job!_. She smiled tiredly, shortly resuming her panting afterwards.

Luckily, the sun had now set, casting a beautiful orange-reddish hue on the horizon. Yuri admired the sunset, her panting having stopped now that she was somewhat rested, and gazed upon the sight with an appreciation for the landscape. Wolfe took a seat by her, doing the same as he raised his eyes to the captivating spectacle.

"This is one of the upsides fer tillin' n' harvestin' the fields." Wolfe commented, his previous formal manner being dropped as he now got accustomed to his new farming partner. She looked over, taken aback by the sudden change in his accent. As she looked upon his face, which was smooth due to his young age, as well as his rather handsome looks despite being a field worker, she couldn't help but ultimately being drawn in by the sadness in his eyes, as if he had lived a thousand lifetimes only filled with sorrow. She wanted to help him in any way she could, and that sadness perpetrating his soul made her feel…..excitable.

Wolfe perked up when he heard a different kind of panting from his left and, upon averting his attention to Yuri, was astounded by her sudden change in personality.

"Wolfe…"

Yuri had taken on a rather unsettling look, her eyes more wide open than before, now seeming to be in a hyperactive state. Her mouth was open, a grin plastered across her face. She panted through her nose, and she began crawling towards Wolfe, clenching his leg and arm whilst getting a closer look at his eyes. Needless to say, Wolfe was creeped the f**k out by this obscene behavior, but was frozen in the moment, as he had never seen anything like this before. He was just a 15-year old farmer, and so did not know how to respond to this. He felt as she draped her breast, which was wet from the sweat that had saturated her clothing, onto his arm. He felt his whole face turn raspberry red as he stumbled to find words for this situation.

"Ah-uh-eh-uh-eh-eeeehhhh….."

Yuri began rubbing his arm and leg, panting even more than before now, that creepy ass expression still on her face.

"Wolfe…..you make me feel so restless, so impulsive…..why do you make me feel this way, Wolfe?..."

To that, Wolfe had no response. He was just farming, he didn't think his work would promote such erotic and rather frightening behavior from the woman.

"Wolfe….I want to spend every minute with you right now."

Wolfe decided the best course of action was just that. With some considerable willpower, Wolfe grabbed her hands and placed them on the steps beside him. He finally managed to gain his diction back, with some serious effort, and emphasized his intent.

"Of course, Yuri, we can do that, just….reign in the...you know…. _behavior_."  
At this point, Wolfe was about to pass out from the amount of blood rushing through his head. He calmed himself down for a moment, then proceeded to take Yuri by the hand.

"Why don't we take a short visit to town fer some nice activities?"

"Sounds splendid, Wolfe."

"Great, well prepare the gear we need fer the trip, and we'll get goin'."

"Of course, Wolfe."

"And you don't need to say mah name every time yer talkin' to me."

"Okay, Wolfe."

Wolfe shivered, predicting that this was going to be a very uncomfortable trip.

Soon enough, Yuri had prepared their luggage, along with a coin pouch Wolfe had asked for. He then filled the coin pouch with a substantial amount, so as to prepare for what would be meals paid for at restaurants, possible venues of entertainment, and a night at the local tavern, as it would be inconvenient to head back to the farm. After all, it was quite a ways from the town of Northham.

And so, with this in mind, he attached the sling of the pouch to a part of his belt. He then took one quick look at everything else prepared, and nodded his head in satisfaction. He once again heard a faint panting, and glanced over to see Yuri, albeit reigning in the behavior somewhat, still looking at him with those hyperactive eyes. She was not grinning though, more so a sort of anticipation. He shivered as he thought about bedding arrangements in the tavern. However, he dismissed the thought and began his walk to Northham.

* * *

As Monika lay in bed, sleeping, Rulf had already gotten up, as was custom for a bandit, since they could not exactly find support in any guards in town if any persons with harmful intent planned to pay them a visit. He looked out the window at the rising sun, having brought up a chair so he could chill. He looked back once at Monika, contemplating what to do with the peculiar woman. As he had thought before, her story was nothing to dismiss easily, and considering the circumstances to which they had met, as well as the passion in her voice when she told it, he couldn't help but believe her. The only thing left to consider was what to do about her.

Once more, he gazed outwards at the red hue pervading the horizon as the great orange ball of fire rose slowly upwards. Rulf noticed a duck standing next to the pile of logs he had chopped down last night, and was immediately irked by its presence.

"Stupid f*cking duck."


	5. Chapter 5: The Meeting

**Suggestion** \- While reading these chapters, put on ambience music that will help simulate the environment in the story. Such recommended channels are the 'Guild of Ambience', 'Sword Coast Soundscapes', 'Pandora Journey', and 'The Spirit of Orchestral Music'.

You may not realize it, but using such background ambience enhances your reading of the story over 10 times more.

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 5: The Meeting**

"Monika, we need to get going already so we can get the materials ahead of time."

" _Coming, Rulf._ "

The way she said that made Rulf shiver in his boots. She was such a weirdo.

Besides that, Rulf had decided to make this lodge…. _their_ temporary home for now (yes, he had decided to let her stay, but only because of her circumstances, and because he had already gone through the effort of breaking his hand to help her). For that, he needed to get materials and resources necessary to fix the place up from Northham which, luckily for them, was in the distance, about a half mile away. On top of that, he needed to get some treatment from his hand as soon as possible. He had put it in a splint, considering he had knowledge of basic first aid (at least on how to treat broken bones), but it was obvious he would need more medical expertise for it.

He groaned thinking about the cost of such treatment. It was quite obvious it would bankrupt any money he had been saving up for the months he'd been on the road, acquiring wealth by some rather…..illegal means. It would seem he'd need to start his dirty business once again (if you weren't aware by the obvious signs in the previous chapters, Rulf is a low-down, dirty highwayman, AKA a person who robbed people on the side of the road). He wasn't sure how he was gonna break it to Monika nor how this would be taken by her.

He turned to her, preparing to reveal his occupation to her, when he noticed she wasn't inside anymore. He ran outside to see Monika jumping around in the small clearing that was created thanks to Rulf's logging, in which she joyfully played around in. He sighed deeply, wondering if there was going to be much accomplished today.

"Monika, stop horsing around and let's go." He already had the bag for their travel prepared, which was filled with an assortment of trinkets he could use to drive up a good bargain in town. He also had his gear equipped as before, but decided to keep his handkerchief tucked into his overcoat so as not to give off the appearance of a highwayman. He was still going to avoid the guards in town as much as possible, but that didn't mean he couldn't avoid looking less conspicuous than before. Besides, it was rare that anybody had ever heard of an 18-year old highwayman, so he was sure he could get by without arousing too much suspicion.

Monika focused her attention back on him, and smiled. It was such a beautiful smile. Rulf felt his heart skip a beat.

 _No,_ he asserted himself adamantly. _There ain't do damn way in Hekk I'm gonna fall in love with that crazy woman._

He slapped himself with both of his hands, then shook his head several times to rid himself of such thoughts. He then jerked his thumb behind him, towards the trail leading to Northham, signaling it was time to go. She nodded and ran over, taking her place beside him. They began walking down the trail.

" _Quack."_

Out of nowhere, Rulf did a 180 and kicked a pile of dirt at the audacious duck that so fervently irritated Rulf to no end.

"FU** OFF, YOU STUPID DUCK!" Rulf yelled at the Anas platyrhynchos. It quacked once again, this time a smug look enveloping its proud beak. It then waddled into the bushes, still keeping an eye on the pair as they headed back down.

Monika giggled. "It's just a duck."

"Shut up."

* * *

They were halfway to the town of Northham when Rulf noticed a group of unsavory-looking individuals seemingly harassing a couple.

Rulf saw a glimpse of something sharp and shiny and, assuming it was a robbery, decided that the best course of action would be to not get involved.

"Hey, what are you guys doing over there?"

Rulf facepalmed. He should've known Monika would do something like this.

On cue, the four ruffians turned around, grinning widely as they laid their eyes upon what they assumed would be their next prey. They walked over in a rather odd fashion, kicking their boots high into the air every time they took a step, and did it in perfect coordination as a unit.

"Ah, shi-".

That was when they spoke in unison.

" _Good morning, fellow travelers! We're the Barbershop Bandits, and we've come to take your shit!"_

Then they sang. (In tune with the song on YouTube, 'Hello Mary Lou - A Capella Barbershop Quartet')

 _You passed us by this sunny day,_

 _Flashed shiny valuables our way,_

 _And ooh we found our victims, what a score!_

 _Now buddy,_

 _We're not known for our virtues,_

 _Pay up, or we will hurt you,_

 _We're not joking this is robbery!_

 _We say_

 _Hello travelers,_

 _Goodbye stuff!_

 _Goodbye stuff!_

 _We say_

 _Sweet travelers, give us all of your stuff!_

 _Give us all your stuff!_

 _We know travelers,_

 _That you_

 _Have what we want,_

 _So hello travelers, goodbye stuff!_

 _Goodbye stuff!_

 _We saw your shit, We saw you walk,_

 _Believe us we just had to talk!_

 _Since there's no guards, you cannot run away!_

 _Can't run away!_

 _We thought about robbing at night,_

 _But then we saw you walking right,_

 _Towards us and the rest is just history!_

 _Hey, hey, hello travelers,_

 _Goodbye stuff!_

 _Goodbye stuff!_

 _We say,_

 _Sweet travelers, give us all of your stuff_

 _Give us all your stuff_

 _We know travelers,_

 _You have_

 _Just what we want!_

 _So hello travelers, goodbye stuff!_

 _Goodbye stuff_

 _Hello travelers,_

 _Give us all your stuff,_

 _Yes, hello travelers,_

 _Goodbye stuff!_

 _Right from the start,_

 _I said hello travelers, goodbye stuff!_

 _Good_

 _Bye_

 _Bye_

 _Stuuuuufffffff!_

Rulf could do nothing but stand there in absolute bewilderment. Vaguely, he remembered eavesdropping, in a bar in another town, on a bartender that talked about a group of criminals called the Barbershop Bandits. Having the audacity to not only take your stuff but also deliver a singing quartet whilst doing it made them famous across the region. It just so happened to be Rulf's lucky day (and Monika's unbridled ignorance) that had gotten them caught in this situation now.

The bandits, after having sung such a hearty tune, now revealed their knives which they had hidden from plain sight until now, all pointed at Rulf. They did not consider Monika to be a threat, nor did she seem to consider them to be, as she was _clapping_ in joy from hearing the hearty ballad.

"Wow! That was so good! I want to hear that again!"

The four bandits looked over at her simultaneously, grinning in delight as they were praised on their little ditty. They bowed their heads in the most humble manner, still keeping their knives aimed at Rulf, who was beginning to get quite irked by the whole thing.

"Why thank you, fair lady!" Said one of the bandits, stepping forward slightly to present himself accordingly. "No one has complimented us on our show tunes before! But sadly, we can't be doing this all day long. So just give us your stuff, and we'll be on our way. If you're unlucky, we'll chance upon you again and you can hear our wonderful melody once again!"

"Give you guys our stuff? I don't…"

It was then that she noticed the knives being pointed at Rulf, who was keeping his hands raised, although his face seemed more in slight agitation than any sort of fear. Suddenly, her happy expression dropped, revealing a rather frightening face that mirrored one of extreme calm, yet with an undertone of _deadly seriousness_.

The four bandits looked back over at Rulf, since he was the one with the big sack of unknown valuables, and the one bandit that stood out earlier beckoned with his knife.

"Now, pay up already. As we said before, in our wonderful little melody, we're not ones for-"

Without warning, the bandit was smacked hard in the face with a punch that could only be described as _jaw-breaking_. Time moved in slow motion as Rulf saw Monika's fist make contact with the individual's cheek, teeth flying out of his mouth in what could be described as a cartoonish punch. Time reverted back to normal, the bandit flying in the opposite direction of the punch, landing a couple meters away. The three other bandits stared, dumbfounded, at his twitching, unconscious body. They looked over to see Monika looking at them with a horrifying grimace, her canine teeth seeming longer than normal, her eyes lit up with deathly rage. She stood up, locking onto one of the bandits that was standing next to the bandit leader, locking him as her next target.

Rulf used this moment take advantage of the situation, unsheathing his dagger and plunging it into the stomach of the bandit to the far left of him. The bandit looked down at the knife with a pained expression, grabbing it in a futile effort to remove it. Rulf slid out the dagger and proceeded to then stab him in the throat, confirming his death. The bandit gargled as his vocal cords were completely ruptured. Rulf once more slid out the dagger, swiping it downwards to sling the blood off of it. He looked at the other bandit, who had now broken out of his stupefied trance and swung his dagger at Rulf as he released a cry of anger.

Meanwhile, the bandit Monika was locked onto had began swiping at her in rage, to which she had been somehow dodging with agile grace. She did not feel herself, as if another being was assisting in such swift actions. She saw the ruffian swing once more and quickly grabbed his wrist, launching a palm heel into his straightened elbow, effectively breaking it. The ruffian screamed in pain as he dropped to his knees in agony, the dagger falling out of his hand. Monika saw the chance and took up the dagger and, in a show of sadistic sport, turned the pommel up, holding the knife like the antagonist in _Psycho_ , and began stabbing the bandit repeatedly in the chest, to which he could only gurgle as his insides turned to mush. She grabbed his vest with the free hand, continuing the sick action, smiling whilst plunging the knife into him over and over, making squelching noises every time it entered his body.

Eventually, she stopped, releasing the already-dead body, which thumped to the ground, unmoving. The last bandit looked over at the sight and screamed in pure terror, the comrade he had been traveling alongside for over 3 years, now a pincushion of a corpse on the ground. He couldn't handle the spectacle, and so released his stomach contents upon the ground, falling to his knees, dropping his dagger. Rulf decided he didn't need to kill the now-incapacitated robber, and so forced the man to his stomach, hogtying him with a rope he carried for occasions of kidnapping. The robber did not resist, simply wailing in horror and pleading to not be brutally killed like that.

Once Rulf was done, he looked over to Monika, who was standing over the profusely-bleeding corpse with bloodstains covering her shirt, face, and pants. She smiled sadistically, blood being present on some of her front teeth. Her dagger was soaked with red, the thick substance dripping off of it like some kind of horror movie. Needless to say, Rulf was horrified by the scene and almost vomited himself. However, he kept in the bile, and stared at Monika with a substantial amount of fright in his eyes.

"Monika….drop the knife, please."

Monika seemed to have finally snapped out of her sadistic behavior. As she began taking in what she had just done, Rulf could see her eyes filling with horror. She dropped the knife and shrieked, dropping to her bottom and scooting away frantically from the obscenity, as if that would dispel her actions. She stood there, shaking as she began crying, rocking back and forth whilst clutching her legs together.

Rulf let out a pent-up breath, glad to know that she was at least human enough to see the cruelty in her previous actions. Seeing her like this, he couldn't help but feel bad. He went over and began holding her against him. She fell into his arms and pressed herself against his overcoat, grabbing his chest tightly and sobbing.

 _Why the Hekk did she just go off like that?!_ Rulf thought to himself.

Meanwhile, the couple that had almost been mugged walked over, clutching to each other tightly. Rulf looked up at the young man, who began speaking.

"We wanted to thank you guys for saving us from those ruffians."

Rulf waved aside the compliment. "They were a threat to us too."

"But still, you saved our livelihoods. You see, we were coming into town so I could set up shop at the merchant's square, and those four had almost destroyed our dreams by trying to take our stuff. So, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts."

The young woman, who was holding him, nodded in confirmation to his thanks, smiling gratuitously. Rulf felt a bit awkward about the whole encounter, considering his occupation was not different from the four bandits at all, but he nodded back. With that, the couple, holding each other, walked towards the city, carrying their cart full of their belongings.

Rulf sighed once more. He was getting tired of sighing so much, but it's not like there was much else to express in regards to the sh*t he dodged just now. He looked back down at Monika, whose sobbing subsided into quiet sniffles.

"We need to give you a cleaning. You can't walk into town looking like this, else we're gonna end up in a jail cell rather than the two surviving dickheads who just tried to rob us."

* * *

It was a good thing Rulf had brought spare clothes (even though he thought he wouldn't need them just yet), but seeing as there was only a wide expanse of grass plains accompanied with the winding dirt road, there was nowhere Monika could use for privacy. Rulf frowned and looked over at Monika.

"Hey, Monika, there's nowhere to undress privately, so i'll-"

He yelped in shock as he saw Monika undress right in front of him without a second thought. He forgot just how shameless she was, and quickly turned around, his cheeks flaming up.

"M-Monika! Damn it, tell me when you're gonna do that."

Monika looked over at him, then back at her clothes. She continued washing them in the nearby pond, scrubbing the blood off her skin and face as well. She looked back at Rulf, this time adopting an impish expression.

"Tog help me, why must even a simple walk to town be a challen- Woa- WHAT THE F-!"

Rulf fell forwards as he felt Monika tackle him from behind. He was about to push her off, but then noticed she was still undressed. Once again, he questioned the sanity of this woman as his cheeks flamed red. They went through the roundabout, Rulf getting embarrassed whilst releasing a string of curses, yelling at Monika to get off him, Monika giggling slyly as she got up. Finally, she got redressed in the substitute clothing and got up, glancing over to smile at Rulf, who groaned in discomfort.

"Thanks for that randomly provoked assault, Monika. Now, let's take these two-" He stabbed his thumb in the general direction of the the unconscious bandits "-And head to town."

He didn't like the idea, but he knew that there was quite a bounty on the two remaining bandits, which would secure him for funds for at least a month, so he wanted to turn them in to the local guards for that profitable haul of money, which far outweighed any money he tried to scrounge up from robbery. Maybe switching occupations would be in order…

"Rulf, we're heading to the town, right?"

"R-right, yeah, let's get going."

As Rulf began gathering up the two bandits, he was somewhat unsettled by how quickly Monika had gotten over her brutally murder only half an hour ago.

 _I seriously need to watch my back around this woman_ , he thought to himself.

And so, the two made their way to the town with the bandits in tow, unaware that their fates would be intertwined with six others that day…

* * *

They arrived at the front gate, depositing the bandits to the guards stationed there. They stared in surprise at the two beat-up bandits the pair of adventurers had brought behind them.

"I thought there were four of them." One of the guard commented.

"They met their grisly end." Rulf responded quickly, trying to be as not-suspicious as possible.

"I see."

The guards shrugged, one of them running into town to get the bounty reward from the treasury in the town hall. After about 20 minutes, he came back with a rather thick bag of gold, the coins inside clinking with the rhythm of his steps. He came to a stop in front of the pair and handed over the bag, to which Rulf had to resist hollering in joy. He suppressed his instincts and thanked the guards heartily for the reward. They shrugged in return.

"You got the criminals, we got the money." One of them responded bluntly.

With that, Rulf and Monika headed into town. Monika was amazed by the sights there, skipping around like a homeless individual who had just won the lottery. She squealed in utter happiness, taking Rulf by the hand and pulling him around, pointing at various thing whilst occasionally looking back at him to smile sweetly. Rulf simply gave in to the short adventure.

By the end of it, Rulf was panting, wondering how the girl had so much energy in her. Once more, she looked back at him, flashing a jubilant grin. Rulf smiled back, then, realizing what he had just done, covered his mouth whilst averting his face. The action was so unexpected, but he assumed it was her irritatingly irrepressible and constant happy state that was rubbing off on him.

"Quack."

You've gotta be kidding me.

Rulf looked over deliberately, finally laying his eyes upon the damnable duck that was the source of his irritation for the past week. It stared at him with those black, beady eyes.

"Quack."

Rulf felt his nerves boil with unbridled rage, and finally let loose a howl of immoderate fury and ran after the duck, which quacked haughtily and waddled towards the market. Monika, who was still confused by the whole debacle, snapped out of her dazed state and began running after Rulf, shouting at him to stop pursuing such a ridiculous animal.

* * *

Sayori was writing in her little book, when she saw Wesley walk up to accompany her. Now that she had returned to her normal state, she had gotten to know the directions of the town and so was trusted to be by herself now. Whilst alone, she went around the city, taking note of all the different buildings and their respective functions.

"So," Wesley began. "How's the walk going?"

"It's going quite well, actually." She responded. "I just got done mapping out the town."

"Ah, quite an interesting thing to do on your off-time."

"Well, it's sure to help in the future should I need to find my way around this place."  
She flashed him a genuine smile, to which he responded in kind. With that, the two began to converse, talking about a plethora of things, from the varying prices of cotton, to the weather, and even about the lining of the cobblestone. But their day was not to stay peaceful for long.

A pair of troublesome twins known as the Cocker Brothers were among the mischievous sods in the town. They ran around, swiping what valuables they could. Their roguish eyes finally set upon Wesley and the bulge protruding from his vest, which they could only assume was a full coin pouch.

"So I said to him, 'how can you laugh AND lose?'. It just simply doesn't make sense- wha-HEY!"

Wesley shouted indignantly as he felt his coin pouch snatched by one of the two brothers. They then ran off into the market square, trying to lose him in the thick crowd. He did not give up, however, and ran after them, to which he was accompanied by Sayori.

* * *

"Why are we here again, again?"

The way Malin had said that made Natsuki feel like she had just lost a couple brain cells. "'Cause, you dipnut, I plan on becoming a private mercenary contractor too, and that requires gear like swords and armor and stuff."

"The proper term is 'hero', and I'm sure that you will need my help in acquiring such items of interest."

"First off, you're an idiot, and second, you just answered your own stupid question."

As the two waited for in line to place their order at the blacksmith's shop, Malin noticed a discrepancy out of the corner of his eye. He saw a rather suspicious individual standing beside a woman. He was disconcerted when he noticed the pickpocket reach into her tunic pocket and take out a coin pouch.

"Pickpocket! Stop right there, you miscreant!"

Malin's obvious yelling alarmed the criminal to his dirty doings, and so he took off towards the marketplace, hoping to lose the hero amongst the crowd. Malin was headstrong, though, and so he dived in after the criminal, determined to stop wrongdoing in its tracks.

"H-hey! Malin! I'm buying stuff here- oh, damn it all!"

She ran after Malin as he dove into the crowd.

* * *

As Wolfe and Yuri perused the stalls for supplies and materials necessary for their plans, Wolfe sighed.

"At this rate, we're never gonna-"

 _ **SLAM!**_

 _ **BONK!**_

 _ **KAPASH!**_

Wolfe felt as if a team of armored knights had just tackled him as a gaggle of individuals suddenly smacked into him, to which he responded by falling unconscious, inconveniently yet effectively stopping any small amount of plot from developing in that little moment he was about to have with Yuri. Yuri, on the other hand, yelped in shock as she witnessed her farming partner get KO'd by the other individuals. A cacophony of groaning immediately erupted from the tangled mess that was the result of several individuals making abrupt contact with each other.

"Oh, fu(quack) me!"

"My head!"

"Damnable louts!"

"My leg!"

"EUGH!"

"Kach-Ow!"

"OW, TOG-DAMNIT!"

Along with Monika, Rulf, Wesley, Sayori, Natsuki, Malin and Wolfe strewn across the floor were the Cocker Brothers, the pickpocket, and, of course, the duck.

Eventually, everybody was able to get up, in which Yuri stared at them all, dumbfounded to the nth extent.

Malin dusted himself off calmly, as if unsurprised by the sudden clash, Monika and Sayori coughed several times as they let their windpipes refill with oxygen, Natsuki laid on the ground, groaning in pain, Rulf and Wesley tried to apprehend their prey as before, and Wolfe was spread across the cobblestone, unconscious, like marinara sauce over a bowl of spaghetti, alongside the adult pickpocket that Malin was so set on capturing.

Wesley finally got ahold of the troublesome brothers, who pleaded for him not to turn them in to the local guards. He responded by taking back his pouch and smacking them both across the face with the palm of his hand, to which they ran away crying. Rulf, however, was less fortunate in capturing his prey. The duck had eluded his grasp, waddling a good couple meters away before turning around and slapping one wing against the other in the universal sign of a middle finger, which only irked Rulf even more, who sent a flurry of unsavory insults towards the duck as it quacked imperiously and swaggered (or waddled) away. Rulf slammed his fist into the cobblestone, flinching in pain after realizing how stupid that was. He then looked up in anger.

"Monika, we're going after that insufferable duck to end its miserable life once and for all-"

He then seemed to notice the group that had gathered here.

"Oh...uh, hello to you all."

The group exchanged their hellos, giving each other greetings.

"So….what brought you guys here?" Rulf broached the topic, feeling it was necessary to find out the reasoning behind their gathering.

"Two little sh*ts."

"A miscreant of society."

"Shopping and an unwanted concussion. The two are not related."

Wolfe seemed to have recovered from his temporary unconscious state, much to Yuri's relief.

"Ah, I see. Well, my fellow intellectuals, it was a rather mischievous creature that caused my anger to spark out of nowhere."

"A duck?" Sayori asked, dismayed by his attempt to pad his reasoning for chasing such a simple creature.

"Listen up, _lady_ , that is a duck from the deepest reaches of Hekk."

And with that, the group began to converse, each individual finding something to relate to or talk about with the other. (Really, it saves me time in having to write a bunch of dialogue dredge). At one point, Wesley and Wolfe traded housing locations after finding out how their occupations could benefit the other, and Malin took a look at Rulf.

"So what's your job?"

"H-huh?"

"I asked what you do for a living." Malin, who, at this point, was an expert at sniffing out criminals (or potential ones), was quite suspicious of Rulf's appearance and his posture, both resembling that of your average criminal scum.

With a completely straight face, Rulf answered his question.

"Entrepreneur."

Malin, who was not the brightest of any bunch whatsoever, nodded in satisfaction.

"Sounds legit."

Amidst all of this, Monika stood out from the gathering, her face paler than a ghost who had seen a ghost wearing a ghost costume for Halloween. Before her were standing three individuals which she had never thought she would encounter ever again.

And yet here they were.

Talking.

Chatting.

Laughing.

 _Living._

 _But they're just lines of code,_ She thought in utter shock. _Were they actually real?!_

"Monika."

She jumped as she heard a voice pierce her train of thought, and looked to her left to see Rulf, who had broken off from the group chat.

"Y-yes?"

"We're gonna trade….addresses….with these guys…..so that we can….get a better…..standing in this country. At least for now."

"Why are you speaking like that?"

"Because I am trying...to fight off...the pain….that is enveloping….my fucking hand….I need a... r….."

He fainted onto Monika, who cried in shock as she took on the surprisingly heavy weight of Rulf and his equipment. Wesley, having heard the last line Rulf uttered, rushed over to assist her, along with Sayori.

"Seems he's in need of some medical attention." Wesley stated with a serious expression on his face. "I'll take him to a friend I know. In the meantime…..Monika, was it? You can go with Marigold here to wait back at our house until he's taken care of."  
Monika looked over at Sayori, who smiled sweetly. She shivered as she looked in fear at Sayori, thinking about what Sayori wanted to do to her after Monika put her through so much suffering. Sayori tilted her head in concern.

"Why do you look so afraid, Monika?"

Monika stopped shivering. Was it possible that Sayori had lost her memories?  
She decided to test the grounds for it.

"Uh, no reason. I'm just _hanging_ onto every word that Wesley's saying."

Sayori showed no extreme reaction to the sick reference she had just made, aside from a slightly confused expression as to her word choice. (I'm sorry, I couldn't come up with anything else for that).

Monika sighed in relief. She assumed that Sayori's memory had been erased, and so she could assume the two other girls had lost theirs as well.

"Anyways," She started. "Let's go to your house, and we can wait until Rulf's done being taken care of."

Sayori smiled. "Alrighty, let's go!" She proclaimed as they walked to Wesley's establishment.

* * *

4 hours later, after Rulf's hand had been examined and given proper treatment (to which he was told to not use it for the next week), the two walked back to their lodge, hauling the supplies they needed to spruce the place up and provide them with proper materials to make this place more livable. On top of providing for Rulf's treatment (done for free, of course), he also bought their supplies for them, seeing as he had connections with the merchants and so was able to get some good discounts for their materials. Monika looked back to Rulf, who was straining on carrying his share of the weight, but pressed onwards, determined to get himself cozied up by the fire awaiting him at the lodge. She smiled, then looked back up the winding trail that led to their cabin.

Once they got there, they set the stuff down by the side of the house. Rulf stated that they could spread out their work over the course of the week, so as to not burden themselves too much. Monika nodded in agreement.

Immediately, Rulf got cozied up by the fire, quietly complaining about the bull-crap he had to deal with this past week. Monika took a seat by the window, gazing out the window at the starry sky. She was truly grateful for the experience of being alive, but now she was disturbed by the realization that her former 'friends' were now present in this world. She didn't want to be reminded of that horrific world again (if you could even call it that) but she decided that, hopefully, she could push aside those memories if she had enough good ones to crowd in her mind. And they seemed to be real enough in this world, as they responded just as much as any other human did here.

With that resolution in mind, Monika let her mind wander, thinking about things of past, present, and future, as she stared out the window contentedly.

"Oy, Monika."

"Yes, Rulf?"

"Remember this for tomorrow."  
"What is it?"

"Tomorrow, we're setting up traps around our lodge."

"For what?"

Rulf stared into the fire with a burning hatred, his eyes blazing with red-hot wrath.

"T-o t-a-k-e c-a-r-e o-f t-h-a-t f-*-c-k-i-n-g d-u-c-k _."_


	6. Chapter 6: The Trigger

**Suggestion** \- While reading these chapters, put on ambience music that will help simulate the environment in the story. Such recommended channels are the 'Guild of Ambience', 'Sword Coast Soundscapes', 'Pandora Journey', and 'The Spirit of Orchestral Music'.

You may not realize it, but using such background ambience enhances your reading of the story over 10 times more.

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 6: The Trigger**

Darkness. Pitch-black, dreadful darkness.

Monika woke up in a panic, frantically wriggling around when she felt her hands and legs bound together with rope. She began screaming in terror, horrified that she was in such a situation. Although she could not see, she could assume she was locked in some small container and being carried somewhere. She continued to struggle ineffectively to free herself from this frightening circumstance.

"Sat-han pr-ise us, S-t-han lo-e -s, S-tch-n t-ke -s…."

Monika froze as she heard a faint rhythmic chanting emit from outside of her cage. She tracked the source of the voice behind and in front of her. She tried to decipher what they were saying.

"...Satchan praise us, Satchan love us, Satchan take us…"

Her panic only increased, as it sounded like some sort of cult chanting. She continued to struggle inside the tight container, hoping to make some leeway in regards to escape. Her efforts, however, were futile. Eventually, she felt her container drop to the ground, to which she hit the back of her head against the surface of the container as it smacked to the ground. She felt dazed, groaning in pain from the sudden injury. Vaguely, she remembered walking through the woods near Halesworth with Rulf to map out the area (for reasons Rulf would not reveal to her). Rulf then broke off for a moment to investigate a rustling noise in some bushes, and Monika then recalled falling unconscious as something hard smacked her in the head from behind. Now she was here.

The box opened.

She stared in horror at the two robed and masked individuals standing over her what she now saw to be a coffin. Their eyes gazed upon her, and she could see the stark-raving madness plaguing their very mind through those glazed-over eyes. They continued their chant, and roughly picked Monika up and out of the box, carrying her over to a wooden X, along with seven other girls tied to wooden X's, and strapped her arms and legs to the stand with rope. She tried her best to struggle, screaming for help, but one of the cultists then smacked her in the head with the butt end of a dagger, dazing her so as to render her unable to fight back. Once they finished strapping her up, they began chanting once again, scurrying about to set up more things for the ritual they seemed to be planning.

As cultists ran back and forth, prepping various objects and items, one cultist stood out from them, standing before a giant symbol on the ground and muttering his own incessant chanting. Unlike the others, he wore several jewels and trinkets, adorned with enough decoration to put the finest chandelier to shame. Also present was a massive collection of jewels and gold surrounding the symbol. But that was the least of Monika's thoughts right now, as they cultists seemed to have finished preparing. Alongside her, the other girls were screaming for help and in fear the whole time they were strapped to those stands. Monika looked around in panic, quickly looking for a way to escape the situation.

Although there were several objects scattered among the floor (as bat-shit crazy cultists aren't the most organized of folk), she couldn't reach them at all, her hands being tied tightly against the stand. She could feel blood circulation being cut off from her hands and feet as the rope strained against her arms. She clenched her teeth in pain, a plethora of ideas for escape running through her mind.

But it was to no avail, as now the cultists were beginning their ritual. They began chanting one line, over and over, inciting a demon named Satchan. Finally, the Head Cultist stepped forward, proclaiming his piece.

"Satchan, 8th Demon, Lord of the 7 Deadly Demons, please acclaim our ritual and accept our gifts! We, your devout followers, have patiently but steadily gathered the resources necessary to revive you and bring you back to this world to wreak havoc upon the ignorant populace! We invoke you through these means to release you from your prison, and so we will now start the ritual for your forthcoming!"

He pointed his crooked finger at the stands where the girls were entrapped.

"Here, Satchan, O Mighty One, we have the innocent lain before you, so that you may use them to satiate your hunger for blood! But first, we must evoke the cries of the innocent to fully awaken your slumber!"

He then gestured to his cultists, signaling them to commence the ritual. That was when they began their work.

Whilst the rest chanted in that same rhythmic manner, one of them went up to the first girl, raising his knife before her. She looked up in horror, screaming for him to stop. He then plunged his dagger into her left eye.

She screamed at the top of her lungs in agonizing pain, as the cultist then pulled out the knife, the eye impaled upon the blade end. He removed the eye, throwing it to the ground, and then moved on to the next girl, who was shrieking in terror, right next to Monika.

"NO! NO! PLEASE! DON'T!" She wailed in fear.

The cultist smacked her in the head, dazing her momentarily as he then forced open her mouth and pulled out her tongue. He then began cutting the tongue out from her mouth, to which she screamed in torment. He finally finished his atrocious task, throwing the tongue away.

"NO MORE! NO MORE! NO MORE!" She shrieked continually, struggling violently on the stand. He then went over to Monika, to which she felt her face pale as she gazed upon the blood-soaked knife, which dripped blood maliciously. He then held her by the throat, bringing his knife to her right ear. She screamed in panic as the knife brought itself ever so closer to her ear.

WHIZZ-SMACK!

Monika yelped in surprise from the startling noise, shaking heavily as she looked over at the cultist's face.

To her shock, the end of a razor-sharp arrow was protruding from the cultist's forehead, blood dripping from tip. The cultist slumped to the ground, dead, the knife dropping out of his hand.

The group of chanting cultists stopped their incessant rhythm as they looked on at their dead comrade, who lay unmoving on the floor, the shaft of an arrow sticking out from the back of his head.

"You sick fucks! I'm going to end this."

The cultists turned around in surprise to see a highwayman standing at the entrance of their cave, mini-crossbow in one hand, dagger in the other. He locked his rage-filled eyes on the group and, without a second wasted, quickly reloaded his crossbow and fired at one of the cultists, to which the arrow slammed into the cultist's chest, knocking him backwards into the stone ground.

The cultists seemed to have snapped out of their stupefied state and unsheathed daggers from their robes, charging at Rulf. He anticipated this and took out a bag of caltrops, slinging it to scatter them among the floor. The cultists ran right into them, howling in pain as they stepped on the prickly pieces. Rulf took this chance to dash for the stands, avoiding the random objects scattered around the room. Some of the cultists finally got out of the field of caltrops and one of them ran towards Rulf, raising her dagger whilst shouting in anger. Rulf saw this and picked up one of the sharp objects, which turned out to be a mallet, and threw it at the cultist's face. It struck her dead-on, smacking into her nose, breaking it, and causing her to fall unconscious and crumple onto the rocky ground.

The other cultists had now fully gotten out of the caltrops and limped over to Rulf as fast as they could, their feet having been pierced by the sharp points of the caltrops. Rulf took note of this and so took the time to reload his crossbow as fast as he could. He then ran around the massive symbol on the ground to come upon a wall torch. An idea popped into his mind, and so he took the torch from its holster, throwing it on the symbol, which was made with lantern oil. It lit up, flaming upwards as the oil ignited. This threw the cultists off as they began screaming in agony. It seemed that lighting the symbol on fire ruined the whole ritual by cancelling the chance for them to evoke their demon lord. Rulf, seeing their reactions, then decided it was time to finish them off. He charged at the nearest cultist with his dagger, to which he looked over at the last second, his reaction too late as the knife plunged into his stomach. Rulf pulled out the dagger with vigor, moving onto the next cultist, who was able to react in time to evade the first knife swipe, and countered by stabbing his knife at Rulf's side. Rulf barely avoided the stab, grunting in pain as he felt the dagger graze his side. Rulf inverted his knife and plunged the blade down into the cultist's shoulder, causing the cultist to shriek in pain, dropping his dagger due to his incapacitated arm. Rulf then finished him off by shoving his knife into the nape of the cultist's neck. The cultist dropped to the floor, dead before hitting it.

I need to finish the rest off, before the chance of getting stabbed gets too high, Rulf thought to himself, reverting his knife back to having the blade point upwards, and turned to the rest of the cultists. There were four left, and so he was about to charge at the next cultist when he felt heard a cry of anger come from his left.

"FOR SATCHAN!" The cultist shouted, tackling Rulf from the side and slamming him onto the floor below. Rulf grunted in surprise, attempting to wrestle the cultist, the cultist attempting to drive his knife into Rulf's chest. Rulf, whilst holding back the cultist's wrist with one hand, used the other to pick up the crossbow that had fallen a couple inches away. He finally clutched it and brought it up, pointing it at the cultist's face.

Rulf saw a moment of panic in the cultist's face before he pulled the trigger on the crossbow, making a sharp twang and releasing the bolt. The arrow pierced right through the cultist's eye and went through his head, flying into the air above. The corpse then fell onto Rulf, who growled in disgust and pushed off the dead body. He then looked up to see the remaining three cultists start charging at him. Without a second thought, Rulf experienced one of those heroic moments, and so took a running leap at the cultist to his left, emitting a guttural war cry that was similar to that of when he pulled Monika out of the portal.

He landed on the cultist, bringing his knife down with full force and slamming it into her throat. She made several gurgling sounds as she choked on her own blood, struggling against the knife that was impaled in her neck. Rulf quickly slung out the knife and stabbed at the Head Cultist, who evaded the desperate slash with ease, bringing his knife down upon Rulf's head. Rulf rolled to the side, gaining his stance once again and swung at the last subordinate cultist still standing. The cultist tried to dodge, but failed as the knife struck his thigh. He screamed in pain as he felt the blade sever several tendons in his leg. Rulf pulled out the knife once more, slinging the blade downwards to rid it of the scum's blood. The cultist fell to the ground, holding his thigh. Rulf knew he had hit an artery, and that the cultist would be dead within minutes. He finally set his sights upon the Head Cultist, who looked around in panic.

"Y-you churlish lout! How dare you interrupt the ritual for our Mighty One, Satchan, the 8th Demon! You will suffer for your insolent actions!"

He yelled in rage as he thrusted his knife at Rulf's center mass. Rulf saw the obvious strike and evaded it with ease, grabbing the arm and slamming his knife into the cultist's elbow, breaking and severing it nerve-wise from the rest of his body. The cultist screamed as he dropped to his knees, holding his crippled arm with the functioning one. Rulf looked down at him with the utmost contempt coupled with disgust.

"I'm going to make you suffer for your atrocities, you piece of scite." He walked up to the bumbling cultist and hovered his knife over his eye. The cultist saw the action and was about to recoil from the blade when Rulf grabbed him with his free hand. The cultist pleaded for mercy, to no avail. Rulf then plunged the knife into his eye. The cultist let loose a horrible mixed cry of fear and pain alike. He began sobbing in despair, but Rulf was not finished. He then plunged it into his other eye, a grimace taking form on his face, his eyes trained on the cultist as he wailed in agonizing pain.

He waited a few moments to let the cultist suffer, then finally clutched the cultist by his hair and dragged his dagger across the cultist's throat. The cultist gasped for air as blood came pouring down his face and neck. Rulf held him for a couple more moments, then finally released him, letting him drop to the cold stone below. The cultist fell face-flat upon the surface, his blood staining the formerly pristine-looking stone.

Rulf stood straight up, then turned around and vomited, caused by the combination of his adrenaline receding and having to cope with the grueling scene before him. He groaned in discomfort.

"Rulf!"

He looked over to hear Monika shouting desperately at him. He remembered now about the tied up women and ran over, untying each of them from their stands. One by one, they fell to the ground, sobbing in relief. The two that were mutilated groaned and cried in pain, holding their mutilated areas. Rulf wasted no time, slinging out a small kit for medical treatment and taking care of the wounds. Once he was sure the two would be in stable condition her ran over to hold Monika, who practically leapt into his arms upon seeing him.

"Rulf! I was so scared!" She sobbed into his chest. He held her tight, whispering to her that it was going to be okay. He looked at two uninjured girls, who were still trying to cope with what just happened.

"You two," He pointed at them both. They perked up. "Get out of this cave and find the town of Halesworth. It's a half mile away, but if you can get help there, we can take care of this situation."

They stood there, still shellshocked from the traumatic events that had recently unfolded.

"Go!" Rulf shouted, snapping them out of their trances. They nodded shakily and ran out of the cave.

After about 30 minutes or so, the girls returned with a group of guards and a couple medical teams, which rushed to take care of the injured women huddled on the floor. The guards secured the rest of the girls and took in the unconscious (and only living) cultist, as well as packaged up the dead bodies, leaving Rulf and Monika huddled in front of the stand as people went to work around them. Eventually, one guard came up to them, identifiable as a Sergeant of the squad that arrived. He took off his iron cap, holding it to his chest as he presented himself to Rulf and Monika.

"Hello there, you two. I am Sergeant Barric, and I just wanted to thank you, sir, for taking care of this villainous lot. Had it not been for you, there would have been 8 dead girls and a rampant cult running around the country."

Rulf looked up, his eyes filled with weary relief. "I must thank you for coming along to help out, Sergeant."

Barric waved aside the thanks. "Anyways, considering the sizable haul of loot these freaks had stashed up, I've decided to allocate a bit as a reward to you for doing a service to this country.

Rulf couldn't help but feel his greed mount as he heard the word 'reward'. He suppressed the urge to celebrate openly.

"Eh...thank you, Sergeant." He said simply.

"No problem. Now you take care, and if that woman there needs treatment for anything, you can bring her to town."  
With that, the Sergeant walked off, taking care of business with other guards. Monika clutched onto Rulf a bit harder than before, looking up at him, eyes filled with love and relief.

"Thank you for saving me, Rulf."

Rulf blushed, averting his eyes.

"Well, it's not like i'm gonna leave my housemate to be hurt or killed." He muttered.

Monika smiled sweetly.

"By the way," She started. "How did you find out where I was?"

Rulf focused back on her, and for a moment she could see a flash of irritated regret in his eyes. "A….thing….led me on a trail with struggle marks imprinted in the wet grass. I saw the footprints, followed them, and eventually found the cave that these psychopaths were doing their ritual in."

"What thing led you here?"

Rulf once again averted his eyes. He mumbled something under his breath.

"What? I can't hear you."

"It was a *mumble*..."

"Huh?"

"IT WAS THE DAMN DUCK!"

Monika was taken aback by the revelation of a duck leading Rulf to save her. She threw back her head, laughing loudly in comical relief at the ridiculous idea, to which Rulf released a string of curses and carried her back home to their room in the tavern of Halesworth.

* * *

Sayori continued her walk down the streets of Whaleholde, a town resting on a gulf of Brimmen, to which they relied heavily upon fishing and whaling for food, supplies, and commerce. This meant they were very much into trade, as it allowed for them to import necessary materials for building, such as wood and stone, and was a way for them to sell whale products, which were highly valued among cities and towns not located near the ocean. Unfortunately, the town was also a haven for pirates, which led to thugs and ruffians using that as a stepping stone to make it their haven as well. Eventually, the whole town became infested criminal activity.

After finding out about this, the King of Brimmen commenced work on a plan to clear out the town of the scum. It was yet to be put into action, as it would take at least a couple months for everything to be put together. In the meanwhile, the town remained a festering hole for crime to spring up. In fact, the only reason Wesley came to work out some trade deals here was because he knew there was profit and influence to be found in the fishing trade. He could work around the criminals, as only daring traders would take their business here. He needed that kind of zeal to front his sphere of influence in this area.

So with that, he left Sayori on her own shortly to go work out the deals with the traders he could find. He warned Sayori to stay beside the dock, as there was the most amount of patrols and guards stationed in that area. Now, she was left to doddle, occasionally writing down a piece of information or two that she learned about the town. She noticed, however, that there seemed to be a commotion coming from a nearby alleyway. She remembered her promise to not stray from the docks, and so resisted the urge to go and investigate it.

"Please, I don't have any money, I-I…"

Sayori perked her head up, alarmed by the faint pleading. She once again directed her attention over to the alley, and felt anger rile up inside her. She walked over, stashing her notebook and quill away in her satchel, forgetting about her promise as her forgetful mindset kicked in.

When she arrived upon the alley, she saw a group of four ruffians pushing around a fearful woman wearing peasant's clothing. One of the group stepped forward, grabbing the woman by her shirt and pulling her forward towards his face, to which he grinned brutishly.

"Oy, ya wench, we know yus stacked cuz we saw yus walkin' 'round wid dat rich fella, eh?" The thug spoke with a slur, the rough accent clear in his voice. The woman looked at him, fear pervading her eyes as she shook her head in desperation.

"He was simply helping me out. Please, I-"

"Shut yer trap, you bitch!" The thug shouted at her, slugging her across the cheek whilst throwing her against the alley wall, to which she cried in pain. "Stop lyin' to us n' give us some fookin' booty - both in money and yer ass!" He chortled, laying his hands on her to undress her. She screamed in disgust, pleading for him to stop, whilst the three other ruffians cackled at the sight.

"H-hey! Stop that you brutes!" Sayori shouted at them, holding herself somewhat aggressively, but not used to being intimidating or giving off the impression. The four brutes looked over at her. Then the one harassing the woman grinned.

"Oy, mates, looks loike we got anotha wench come to please us!" He cackled alongside his cohorts. Sayori scoffed in disgust.

"Get off the woman and leave this alley, you scoundrels!" She felt contempt for these low-down scumbags, and pity for the poor woman who got entangled with this lot.

The man undressing the woman let loose a howl of amusement. "What is this dumb bitch saying?!" He cackled. "Who do yus think ya are? This was none of ya business in the first place, n' yet ya still stepped in. Why don't you fuck off back to wherever you came from 'fore we teach yus a lesson?" He then resumed to trying to forcibly undress the woman against the wall, who resumed her pleading and shrieking. Sayori felt her anger boil over, and out of a sudden impulse, she ran up and cracked him hard across the face with a punch. He was knocked backwards, dizzied by the sudden attack. Not a moment after, the nearest ruffians began beating down on her, causing her to drop to the ground, holding her hands to her head in instinctive defense.

The first ruffian got up, releasing a flurry of curses whilst holding his jaw. "The bitch just whacked me! Right then, ya sod, I guess yer in fer a poundin' after all!" He cracked his knuckles, then turned Sayori upwards, slugging her repeatedly across the face, to which she tried to block. Her strength was not comparable to his, however, and she ended up taking some brutal cracks across the face. She felt her eye swell up as one punch made contact.

"How do ya loike that, you little shit!" The ruffian shouted in anger. "You damn rich arseholes, always thinkin' yus can have yer way-UGGGH!"

The thug stopped mid sentence as he felt someone tackle him from the side. He was propelled off Sayori, who coughed as she tried to stay conscious from the flurry of hits she just took to the face. She looked over to see Wesley on top of the ruffian.

She was about to raise her head to call out to him in relief when she saw him raise his dagger and plunge it into the ruffian below him, who screamed in pain.

He then got up, standing beside the wailing ruffian, his shirt stained with a spray of blood that spouted from the ruffian's wound. His eyes bored into the thug with cruel contempt.

"You worthless parasites. You disgusting vermin. You _bottom-feeders. I abhor your existence. I loathe your very presence. You are nothing but simple-minded scum."_

The ruffians recoiled at the cruel words this man spewed. Seeing the dagger he held, their fear of him only magnified, and so they held their hands up, quivering in their boots. Wesley seemed to sense the capitulation of their wills, and so he sheathed his dagger. The ruffians collectively sighed relief.

Then Wesley saw Sayori.

And her face.

 _And her bruises._

"Fackin' 'ekk, please don't kill us. We'll leave ya be-"

The ruffian didn't even get a chance to finish his sentence before Wesley flashed forward, throwing a hook into the ruffian's gut, to which he felt the wind knocked out of him. He fell to his knees as he held his stomach. Wesley grabbed the his hair and began slamming the ruffian' head against the back wall, to which the ruffian cried out in pain. Wesley continued, slamming the man's head against the wall until bloodstains began appearing where he slammed his head.

 _Slam._

 _Slam._

 _Slam._

 _Slam._

 ** _Crunch._**

Eventually, Wesley stopped, releasing his head. By that time, he was dead, the back of his head having caved in from the onslaught of abuse, the wall behind him now plastered with the thug's blood and brain matter. The last two thugs shook in their boots, staring at Wesley in fright. He looked over, his eyes still holding a malevolent contempt.

Upon making eye contact with him, one of the ruffians tried to make a dash for it, but tripped over Sayori's leg and fell onto her. She yelped in pain as she felt his heavy weight stack onto her. She did not strain for long, however, as Wesley lifted the ruffian off of her and dragged him out into the street, this time getting down on his knees over the ruffian. He began launching an onslaught of unrelenting blows onto the ruffian's face.

 _Smack-smack-smack-smack-smack._

The ruffian pleaded for him to stop, but Wesley continued, causing the thug's face to well up with a plethora of bruises and cuts.

 _Smack-smack-smack-smack-smack._

Eventually, the ruffian's face was bleeding like crazy, a couple of his teeth missing, along with both his eyes swollen to the point where he couldn't see. He began sobbing under the injuries, barely hanging onto consciousness as the injuries throbbed all over his face. And yet Wesley continued.

 _Smack._

 _Smack._

 _Smack._

 _Smack._

Eventually, he stopped, sweat dripping off of his face onto the bloodied one below. The poor man was now unconscious, and lay unmoving on the ground below. Wesley wiped his forehead and turned around, looking at the last ruffian, who had now wet himself upon witnessing this demon before him brutally beat on two of his cohorts. He dropped to his knees, crying and pleading for forgiveness. Wesley walked over slowly, grabbing the ruffian by his shirt and shoving him against the wall, leaning in real close to his face.

 _"You think you can touch what's MINE?"_ He seethed into the thug's ear.

"N-No! No, I-I'm sorry! I'm-"

Without further hesitation, Wesley then placed his hands on the man's neck, squeezing it hard, strangling the individual. The man began choking, and tried to pull Wesley's arms off his throat, to little success. Wesley continued squeezing.

Tighter.

Tighter.

Tighter.

By this time, the ruffian began turning red in the face, his blood flow being cut off as Wesley's hands continued to enclose around his throat.

Tighter.

Tighter.

 _Tighter-_

"Wesley, stop!"

Wesley looked over to see Sayori up on her knees, tears streaming down her face. "Please stop this. It's horrible."

He stood there for a moment, staring at Sayori with an emptiness in his eyes that frightened her, his hands still clutching at the thug's throat.

Then, he released his grip, and the thug dropped to the floor, coughing violently.

For a moment, there was a silence between Wesley and Sayori that extended on for what seemed like hours.

And then, something terribly strange happened. Wesley, by sudden, started crying, sobbing even. To Sayori's surprise, he came over and wrapped his arms around her, crying onto her shoulder.

"Oh, Tog, Mari. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry...I just...in the moment...I-"

As Wesley ranted on during his sobbing, Sayori sat there, coming to a realization. She recognized these motions, these mannerisms. She did the same thing when she talked to people in town, when she first conversed with Wesley.

He was faking it.

* * *

"Holy sweet mother of all the idiots in the world, why are you so damn stupid, Malin?!"

As Natsuki's voice pierced Malin's ears, he looked over at with that same dumb grin he did for anything. He could be done taking a dump, and he'd flash that grin like he just saved an entire orphanage from a fire.

Well, I guess that is what he should be doing as a hero, Natsuki subconsciously thought. But she was still peeved by just how oblivious this dolt was to literally everything around him. She sighed, her eyebrows scrunching together in that manner when she was irritated.

This time, Malin felt it was appropriate to pay for the drinks of everybody in the local tavern in the town of Deerwick, to which she of course yelled at him not to, because it was expensive as hell, but Malin had gotten the idea whilst he was reading a novel (Wow! Malin and reading are in the same sentence?) about a medieval time period involving a hero named Ashen the brave, who bought drinks for everyone at every bar he ever went to, because he was rich. Of course, Malin just had to pick up a book like that, and here they were, having lost half the loot he had gotten over the past two months.

Of course, being his private contractor partner, she was finally able to get her hands upon some good equipment, involving armor, a shield, and a long dagger known as an 'anelace', which would provide for light mobility and quick strikes for Natsuki. She felt quite proud by the gear she had hand-picked herself after making several painstaking requests with the blacksmith. Of course, Malin had informed her all about the mercena-*ahem* hero trade, equipment, practices, and more. Needless to say, she had a fighting spirit, and so wanted to get into this line of work because of it.

"Alright, Suzette, i'm going to go look around for anyone that desperately needs a hero's help!" Malin proclaimed proudly, hopping off to go do just that. Meanwhile, Natsuki was tasked with staying on patrol. This was because, considering that she hadn't gotten trained by Malin in swordplay, battles, or strategy yet, and considering how she was still quite frail from her mysterious malnutrition, he wanted to keep her out of any serious danger or risk, at least until she had gotten stronger and more trained.

She began walking around, keeping an eye on everything, her armor and equipment clanking with each step she took on the cobblestone path. The people walking around looked at her in slight confusion, to which her cheeks flushed, but she kept walking, determined not to give in to mere shame.

"Wh-what are you doing? Stop! No-"

Natsuki's ears perked up as she heard a little girl's voice cut off. She rushed over to the general direction of it, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the yelling. She rushed into a dark alley (which is the theme of this chapter), and unfortunately found herself entangled in a maze of alleyways. She eventually stumbled upon the girl who was crying earlier, a little lady who appeared around 10-12 years old. She was about to sigh in relief, when she noticed the gag and binding the girl was in. Her eyes were teared up in fear as she tried to signal to Natsuki to watch out.

Too late. As Natsuki turned out, she felt something hard hit her helmet, rattling her brain and rendering her unconscious.

* * *

When she woke up, Natsuki noticed that she was stripped of all her equipment, only left with basic clothing she had on. On an equally important note, she was gagged and tied up alongside the other girl, who was squirming around in panic and fear. She tried to give comfort to the little girl when she noticed a man standing in the far right corner of the dingy room, where a door was located. He slide several objects against it, as if to barricade himself in the warehouse.

Natsuki began to panic herself, but steeled her nerves and began looking around frantically for anything to untie herself and apprehend this criminal. She had little time to do that, however, as the man then turned around, huffing from exertion and adrenaline. He then walked over to the girls. As Natsuki got a closer look at him, he appeared to be an older individual, around 22-25, clean-shaven and with a mix of agony and sickened lust in his eyes. Natsuki felt fear strike her heart as she began to understand what this man's intentions were.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry…" He muttered below his breath, as he came forward, standing in front of the girls.

For several moments, Natsuki watched on, terrified and confused, as the seemingly mentally torn individual standing in front of them idled, seemingly questioning what he was doing.

"Oh Tog….Oh Tog, help me! Why am I stricken with these _sick_ desires? Why? Why?!"

He hunched over, clutching his head with his hands. Tears slid off his cheeks and hit the wooden boards below.

"I can't...I can't contain these terrible impulses...It's so hard...so _terribly_ hard…"

He brought his face up, and the look of absolute sorrow and regret that Natsuki saw on this man's face moved her in such a way she couldn't explain. It was almost like looking at a sad soul, lost and wandering for help.

"Why was I made this way? Why do I have such _craving_ for something so _juvenile_? I'm a terrible man, a terrible soul...Please…"

The light in his eyes was bordering between sorrow and a dangerous lust, almost as if he was in conflict with his inner self. He took a few steps forward, very hesitant and restrained, as if he was trying to stop himself. Natsuki could feel her heart pumping as he was doing this.

"Forgive me...Forgive me…"

 _Slam._

The atmosphere was shattered by a large impact that resonated from the door on the other side of the small warehouse. The man looked over, fear pervading his eyes.

"No...No! I can't be caught! I can't...I can't let people know of my sickness!"

He looked around desperately for an exit, running over and scratching at the walls, trying to peel off boards from the sides of the building.

 _Slam._

Several pieces of the furniture barricading the door were thrown back, almost as if a battering ram had been slammed against the door.

"NATSUKI!"

Natsuki recognized the voice, along with the sheer power behind the ramming of the door. She tried to push out her gag, but as she was already weakened from the blow to the head, she could barely move her limbs.

Meanwhile, the man here was desperately pulling at a weakened board on the side of the building, looking back in fear at the entrance as tears cascaded down his face.

"I can't! Please! Don't come in! Don't-"

 ** _CRACK!_**

The door was smashed open, the makeshift barricades crashing to the sides as Malin blitzed through the entrance, his eyes burning with rage. He stomped over, and the man pulling at the floorboard looked back once more to see the terrifying presence making his way towards him. In a futile effort, he let go of the wooden board, putting his hands up meekly in surrender.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, please-!"

Malin grabbed the man by his throat, tightening his grip. The man gasped and choked as he was lifted up into the air. Malin brought the man close to his face, his iron grip still tight. Natsuki recognized the look Malin had on his face. It was the same one he had when he was killing the boars in the grassy field.

Sadistic pleasure.

 _"You must want to die pretty badly,"_ Malin hissed. _"Doing something like this."_

Natsuki was disturbed by the change in Malin's voice, as well. It was usually heroic-sounding and confident, or soft and caring. The way he spoke now was vicious and raspy, almost as if he was spitting venom from his mouth.

"...Please…"

 _"Begging for mercy? You'll get none from me. No, I have a reason to hurt you, to maim you, to KILL you-"_

"Kill me, then…"

Malin's face contorted in confusion at the statement. He threw the man towards the open area of the warehouse, causing the man to crash against the floorboards. After a moment of silence, the man slowly got up, coughing as he got air back into his lungs.

Malin stared at him with contempt.

 _"It's no fun when they crave death…"_

Malin looked back at Natsuki, who was already starting to slip from consciousness due to the blow to her head. His eyes relaxed from their previously wrath-filled state, his muscles slackening from tension. He bent down and looked over Natsuki with concern.

"Are you okay? Tog...I need to get you treated…"

Natsuki noticed the man in the back had gotten up, and was hunched over once more, sobbing into his hands. Malin noticed the wailing and looked over.

"Why the hell are you still here? I ought to take you in to the guards, but I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt to reform yourself, so leave!"

"I can't bear it anymore…"

Malin stopped tending to Natsuki for a moment. He wanted to see what this man had to say. A moment of silence passed as the man continued crying, before he finally spoke.

"Oh, Tog. Why, why was I given these sick urges, these terrible, carnal feelings? What did I do in my past life to deserve such a terrible fate?! Surely, this could have been some challenge, some sick trial of redemption." His head fell into his hands once again. "And yet, I failed. I failed so miserably that Tog himself must be laughing at my weak nature! I was cursed, nay, _vexed_ with this disease by some unknown, cruel force, and it has driven me to near-madness in the pursuit of abstaining from these horrifying practices!" The man looked up at Malin, who watched on silently with a grim expression. "Please, sir, I beg of you...let no one know my name nor face. I cannot bear to think of my very person being spoken with contempt and spat on for years to come. Please, let me die a nobody's death, and spare me the torture I would have to endure in a prison, or in public. This _disease_ …" He paused. "...I cannot bear it. It has plagued me for all the years of my life, without relent. I don't, I can't live this life any longer. I don't want to live with this disease any longer!"

To Malin's shock, he unsheathed his dagger, holding it with both hands over his stomach.

"I must end my miserable life!"

 _Schick!_

The man gasped as he shoved the knife into his abdomen, and within seconds blood was leaking from the area he had stabbed. He fell to his knees as his body went slack with shock. And yet, he pulled out the knife, stabbing himself once more.

 _Schick!_

 _Schick!_

 _Schick!_

 _Schick!_

By now, blood was pouring from his wounds onto the floor, his face turning pale. Having no strength left, the knife fell from his hands, clattering to the floor. He sat there, on his knees, hunched over.

"...Please…"

Malin was shocked that the man was still able to speak, even after that many stabs. He came closer, assuming he had some final words to utter.

"...Let no one know...I was here...no one…"

He spat blood from his mouth onto the ground, coughing profusely before speaking again, his voice hoarse, each breath he took hoarse and full of wheezing.

"Bury me somewhere...somewhere quiet...somewhere remote...I...beg of you…"

"...I will." Malin stated.

The man smiled weakly, his eyes beginning to close for the last time.

"...Thank...you...friend…"

"May I get your name, at least?"

"...Nells...Green…"

And thus, with those final words, the man slumped over slowly, dead.

Natsuki had witnessed all of this as she was just barely clinging to consciousness. As she witnessed the final breath of the unknown man, her eyes closed, her mind falling unconscious.

* * *

Natsuki woke up in the bed in the tavern, The Fried Chicken. She groaned as she felt several parts of her body throbbing with pain. She sat up on the bed and looked around the comfy room. She noticed the little girl from the kidnapping sleeping in the other bed-

 _The kidnapping!_

She suddenly remembered what had transpired when she was last conscious, and the bizarre event that had taken place. She was shaken from getting kidnapped, and yet she felt a sorrow in her heart from witnessing that tragic display. She questioned as to who that man was, how he had come to such a tragic death...

Suddenly, Malin opened the door to the room and saw Natsuki sitting up on the bed. To Natsuki's complete surprise, she saw relief spill over his face, and he ran over to hug Natsuki, who was more than a little embarrassed by the sudden affection.

"Suzette...I'm so glad you're okay. I'm so sorry for what you had to go through…."

Natsuki was taken aback by how emotional Malin was getting. She had never seen him like this in the two weeks she had spent with him.

"I-It's fine, Malin….I mean, for some reason, it's not affecting me as much as I thought it would…"

Malin looked up at her, smiling as he was put to ease. For a 16 year old boy, Natsuki just now noticed how mature he was for his age. He practically looked 20, but his personality could match that of a 12-year old's, and yet in serious moments, he never acted inappropriately. That was the least important of her matters, however, and she casted aside the mere thought.

"What...what happened to that man?"

Malin's eyes flickered to the side as he reminisced on the grim event.

"I buried him in quiet and remote place. I would hope a soul as disturbed as his is finally put to rest."

"Oh…"

"But aside from that, I'm going to take you to a martial artist I know, and I'm also going to train you in swordplay as soon as possible." He said adamantly. "So we can avoid this kind of thing in the future."

Even though I was hit from behind, Natsuki subconsciously thought. But she was still happy by how determined Malin was to ensure her safety, and felt her heart swell with happiness.

With that said and done, Natsuki looked over at the little girl laying in the bed opposite of her and pointed.

"Why is she here, though?" She questioned him. "Isn't she supposed to, oh I don't know, be taken care of by the guards of the city or something, returned to her family, etcetera?"

Malin looked over to where she was pointing, then back.

"I hadn't thought about that."

"WHAT?!"

Natsuki sighed, wondering what the limits to Malin's stupidity were.

"Well then, we need to get her to the guards in the city as soon as possible!"

"About that…"

* * *

Yuri was lost.

Wolfe had given her the simple task of buying some supplies from Northham and then returning to the farm, but she had screwed up by taking the incorrect route to the town, and now she was lost in the thicket of a forest.

"If only I had a map…" Yuri mumbled to herself.

But soon enough, a map was going to be the least of her problems, because within the hour, she had the luck of stumbling upon an entire encampment of raiding bandits. When they saw her enter the thicket, they were almost tongue tied in regards to the unexpected visit. Regardless, they immediately set to bringing her down and tying her up, then setting her against a tree.

Now she was captured and lost. What other fortune was to befall her today?

The bandits didn't have any necessarily nefarious intentions to carry out with her besides a simple ransom, but she didn't know that, and so she shivered in fear and suspense, worried about what was to become of her soon. Were they going to kill her to keep their camp a secret? Were they going to sell her off in some shady trade to a foreign country? Were they…..going to…..have their way with her?

All of these anticipating questions and more kept her from relaxing in the slightest. After about 30 minutes or so, her worries began to slowly fade the more she inspected the bandit group. They seemed devoid of passion for their line of work, as if they had better things to do than rob and steal. She was quite off-put by their behavior, but nonetheless, she kept her guard up for anything.

"Oy, Baxter, how far away did you say the next village was?" A bandit asked his comrade.

"'Bout 8 more miles, and that's if we have sunny weather." The second bandit responded.

The first bandit groaned, slumping against the wooden log they were sitting on. "At this rate, we're gonna-"

"Um, excuse me, sirs…."

The whole bandit encampment, which consisted of over 15 bandits, looked over at the voice. Yuri looked over as well, and was absolutely dumbfounded to see Wolfe, who was carrying a shy expression on his face.

"I-I just need directions to the nearest town, if you don't mind…." The boy muttered. The bandits, who were previously about to grab their weapon, now relaxed upon seeing such a short farmer boy asking for directions. One of the bandits walked over, putting on his best smile, and confronted Wolfe.

"Well, my little friend, the town you would want to go to is-"

 _Shlick._

The bandit's eyes widened in shock as he felt a stiletto knife slide into his throat. Wolfe held the dagger, maintaining that shy expression, as if nothing had happened. He slid out the stiletto knife, leaving the bandit to clutch his throat and finally fall over into the grass. The other bandits didn't seem to comprehend just what had happened yet, as Wolfe still maintained that expression of innocence, so it was about 3-4 more guys executed by Wolfe before the rest of the party started gearing into action. A ragged grouping of yells of indignation emitted from their throats as they began swiping angrily at Wolfe, who was dodging the quick swipes quite easily. He then went to work, slipping his knife into whatever chinks in armor or exposed flesh he could, until within a minute, all the remaining bandits laid on the floor, dead, blood oozing out of the knife wounds Wolfe had inflicted upon them.

Yuri simply gazed in astonishment at the whole ordeal. As Wolfe came over and cut away the rope binding her, she fired a flurry of questions his way, to which he answered none. By the end of it, Wolfe told Yuri to pick up any useful supplies they were carrying to bring it back to his farm. On the way back, Yuri asked him some final questions.

"How did you find me?"

"It was obvious by the fact that there was only one crossroad with only two roads on the path I set you to, so if you got lost, you would have taken the other way, and it was their loud-arse yelling that alerted me to their presence, to which I then found you bound against the tree, and the rest is history."

"Okay….but, how did you do all that just now?"

Wolfe looked over at Yuri with a deadpan expression.

"Yeah, I don't feel like telling you right now?"

"Oh. Okay."


	7. Chapter 7: Unleashed

**Suggestion** \- While reading these chapters, put on ambience music that will help simulate the environment in the story. Such recommended channels are the 'Guild of Ambience', 'Sword Coast Soundscapes', 'Pandora Journey', and 'The Spirit of Orchestral Music'.

You may not realize it, but using such background ambience enhances your reading of the story over 10 times more.

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Unleashed**

2 weeks later, after the incident with the thugs, Sayori and Wesley were starting to repair the gap that had opened up between them in that moment. With more lessons on the intricacies of trade, dining out often, entertainment, late night drinking, and sometimes just plain old fun, the two had brought their bonding to a whole new level. They came stumbling out of a bar, half-empty (or half-full?) mugs in their hands, ale sloshing around in their mugs as the two giggled and laughed like people with a BAC level of .15. The two made their way back to _their_ house now (Wesley had recently declared the house to be shared with her, only a _good friend (wink, wink)_ would do something like that).

As they stumbled about on the paved road of cobblestone, Sayori felt Wesley slump into her arms. Being drunk, she laughed wildly at first, then came to sift through the bubbles of intoxication in her brain to understand that she needed to put him in bed. And so she went up the stairs of the two story house, and she laid him in bed, tucking him in as best she could (when really she just kinda tossed him onto the bed and ruffled the covers up).

From there, she was about to make her way to her own bed until she heard an especially loud cry for help. Her 'hey let's help everyone' instincts kicked in, and she bumbled down the stairs and out the door, trying to trace the source of the yelling. It was gradually getting louder, and after running around the streets, she came upon a gathering of people carrying torches, knives, and other weaponry circled around a group of three. When she got closer, she started seeing that those people had wings and crow feet. She was taken aback, astonished by the sight.

The people surrounding them were shouting curses, insults and threats at the bird-like people, who were cowering in fear, visibly shivering in fright as the crowd shook their torches and weaponry in such a barbaric fashion. Sayori was confused by the situation, and so tapped on the shoulder of one of the individuals, questioning him as to what was happening. He turned around, his face a contorted sneer as he told her.

"These demons here are known as harpies, and they're the scum of the world, just like every other demi-human on the face of the world!" He shouted. "Those parasites, just like every other demi-human, have hunted and killed humans for centuries now! They're gonna continue killing unless we put a stop to them!"

Sayori was once again taken aback by how fervently this man spoke, as if he himself had experienced the actions he described himself. But as she took a look at the harpies once more, she could not see any cruelty or malice in their eyes as they huddled together, crying and pleading. She wondered if there was some sort of misunderstanding here, and felt the urge to step in. Having not learned how to control those urges in the first place, she moved to the crowd until she was standing in front of the harpies. They looked at her, cowering as they assumed she would be the same as everyone else. She reassured them that she was not going to hurt them, which seemed to make them relax a bit at her presence, but they were still in fear of the circle of people around them vying for their purge.

Sayori grimaced, deciding she had to put a stop to this now, and turned around, facing the crowd. She thrusted her hands to her sides, metaphorically and literally shielding the huddled group. To this, she got a flurry of slurs and insults thrown at her. And yet, she kept her resolve, finally speaking loudly so as to drown out the crowd.

"People of Northham!" She yelled. This seemed to have somewhat stilled the crowd as they curiously awaited to hear what she had to say (Imagine these individuals to be like the Roman people, who, if you know something about their history, would more often listen to reason and debate before resorting to violence). She gulped, and continued her point.

"At first, I was not sure as to why you were going after these _things_ (Sayori was a natural peoples person, as well as a good mediator of arguments or fights. One of these skills was first finding a middle ground to work on, and so she decided to satiate their violent moods by referring to the harpies in such a demeaning way, though she felt hurt by having to say it), but after hearing one of your explanations, I believe I understand a bit about why these creatures were such a bother to you all."

"You bet your ass they're a bother!" One random individual from the crowd shouted. "We're not gonna sit back and let these ravenous, wild monsters kill us off!" The crowd began to get riled up by his outburst.

"Let me finish!" Sayori boomed, asserting her speaking authority over the crowd. It was necessary to nip any riling comments in the bud before the crowd simply steamrolled over her and went for the harpies. She was in an extremely delicate situation right now, and almost anything could set off the atmosphere right now. She continued.

"But let's compare your argument to the sight you see before you. You essentially claim they are ravenous, wild creatures, and yet the creatures behind me reflect neither ravenous nor wild traits. And even if you were to claim that they were faking their appearances, what good would that do when my fellow Northham people have already confirmed their savagery?"

The crowd was silent as they contemplated her points. Another random individual perked up.

"Well, they could be doing it so as to garner sympathy from people like you!" He shouted, which brought up a haphazard set of voice agreeing with him.

"BUT!" Sayori cut off the crowd once again. "Are you to seriously tell me they would rely upon such a tiny sliver of a chance? After all, there is only one of me sympathizing with them, compared to the 20 or more of you. What good would my supporting them do if I cannot guarantee their safety? Why wouldn't they simply fly away, or attack you all if they were to be so _savage_?"

The crowd was stilled once again, as they begrudgingly acknowledged her point.

"The only reasonable thought about this would be that these _specific_ people are not savage nor wild. This cannot be said for their entire species, but then again, can we say that _all_ humans are civilized and forthright people?"

The crowd began understanding her case, and were slowly beginning to agree with her, lowering their torches and weapons as their violent drive began fading away, the heat of the moment dissipating.

"And so, my conclusion is that rather than causing more violence, death and strife, we could simply question these individuals on many things about themselves and their species, so as to understand who _would_ be the violent cretins to attack us humans so unjustly." Sayori could see her point had finally gotten across, and so lowered her hands slowly, avoiding any possible triggers, as the situation was still on thin ice.

She turned around slowly, offering her hand to the lady harpy that was huddled, who at first recoiled in fear of the hand. Sayori smiled. "I promise i'm not going to harm you, ma'am." She said in a most soothing tone. The harpy looked up at her, her eyes filling with hope. She tentatively placed her claw hand in Sayori's. The texture of it was rather smooth, Sayori noted, contrasting how rough the harpy's claw hand looked. She raised the harpy up on her two legs. The sight of it pacified the crowd even more, leading them to start disbanding to head home, and although there was still a tense atmosphere, it began to fade away along with all the other harmful ideas, some of the people feeling shame, others feeling satisfied. A couple of the individuals walked over to Sayori, asking her questions regarding the harpies, her ability to diffuse the situation, and some other minor questions. She answered them accordingly as the rest of the harpies stood up slowly, most of the fear in their eyes evaporating. The lady harpy who had took Sayori's hand retracted it, looking down at the ground whilst fiddling with her claw hands.

"Th-thank you, kind lady." She stuttered, her cheeks turning red. Sayori smiled back.

"It's no problem." She said positively, her own cheeks having already been red, thanks to her heavy drinking just minutes earlier.

At this, the taller and more mature-looking of the male harpies stepped forward, looking at Sayori with a sincere expression.

"We must thank you deeply for having saved us from what would have most surely been a horrible predicament." He stated.

"It's really no *hiccup* problem, sir." Sayori smiled, her head slightly bobbing around. The male harpy tilted his head in mild concern.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" He asked curiously. Sayori grinned at this.

"Yeah, I just had a drink with a friend not too long ago."

The male harpy's eyes widened in bewilderment. "You gave that speech whilst drunk?" He exclaimed in shock. Sayori giggled.

"They say some people perform their best while inebriated." She said, hiccuping once more. This made the gathering around her erupt in hearty laughter.

 _WHACK!_

Out of nowhere, a rock came flying at Sayori, smacking her in the side of the head, to which she reeled sideways, crumpling to the cobblestone. The gathering around her yelled in alarm, looking towards the now-charging madman with a dagger in his hand. He screamed in rage.

"DIE, YOU MONSTER SYMPATHIZER!"

People still in the area looked at him in surprise, frozen in shock as he was about to stab Sayori, who was laid out on the street.

However, his effort was interrupted when he was tackled to the ground. Sayori came to and looked over with half-closed eyes to see Wesley wrestling with the would-be murderer, smashing the murderer's weapon hand to the ground, forcing him to release the dagger, whilst at the same time punching him in the face repeatedly, rage clearly seen in his movements. Suddenly, the attacker desperately clutches at a rock dropped by one of the former rally people and slugs Wesley in the head with it, causing Wesley to fall over, slamming into the cobblestone.

The attacker then takes up his dagger and manages to stab Wesley once, in the side, before being tackled by a couple bystanders, who keep him down whilst calling for the guards. Sayori gets up, screaming in panic as she rushes over to Wesley, who is in bad condition. She sees him breathing faintly as the blade wound leaks blood at an alarming rate, the injury on his head also bleeding. Sayori cups her hand over her mouth, unsure of what to do. Eventually, after a couple minutes, some guards and medics rush over to the scene, the guards taking the attacker into custody, the medics doing their best to care for Wesley's wounds, Sayori sitting on the side, sobbing, unable to do anything to help.

* * *

A couple hours after the incident, late into the night.

The medics had said his condition was in critical condition, and that he would most likely not make it through. Having heard that, Sayori's depression set in once more, and she felt all of her spirit drained from her. She ran away from the ward, out into the streets, away from her mistakes.

Now, here she was, wandering aimlessly around the slums, her whole world turning grey before her eyes.

She eventually fell to her knees.

She stared at the ground.

Voices in her head kept berating her, insulting her for causing such harm to Wesley, for making so many mistakes that ultimately led to his death. Sayori felt tears well up in her eyes, tears of sorrow and grief. She began sobbing loudly, wailing from the horrible results she had caused. Night sky had no stars for her to gaze upon, only a spiritless dark-blue sheet looking down on her. The weather had no warmth for her, only chilly winds and cold temperatures encasing her in her own misery.

Above all, the voices in her head, continually reminding her of her own failure.

 _You're nothing but a burden on everyone else._

 _You're worthless._

 _Just die already._

She crawled towards an alleyway, finding difficulty in walking. She eventually huddled inside the alley, feeling the cold creeping upon her skin, coupling with the voices and her own horrifying depression to make her quietly cry for help.

It hurt.

It hurt so much.

Please, make it stop.

The depression made her skin crawl, rupturing her feelings like a punctured artery, scrambling her mind like a jigsaw puzzle. She couldn't focus on anything, couldn't do anything, couldn't see anything, _couldn't help anything._

 _You vermin._

 _You scum._

 _You parasite._

For so long, she had thought she was working with Wesley to help him start up his empire. He had talked, for so many times, on how he was going to be a great trader one day, how his network was going to spread across all of Uropa one day, how she was going to be his partner in this dream.

Now he was dead.

It hurts.

It hurts.

My heart.

 _My heart._

 _My mind._

 _The voices._

 _Make them stop._

 _I'm banging my head against the wall, but they won't stop._

 _Harder. Harder. Harder. Harder harder harder harder harderharderharderharderharderHARDERHARDERHARDERHARDERHARDERHARDERHARDERHARDERHARDER!_

My head, it's pulsing with pain, it's bleeding so much, i'm losing my train of thought. I can't think, I can't eat, I can't sleep, I can't _breathe._ Help me. Please. Someone.

Please.

 _You whore._

 _You bitch._

 _You monster._

Get out of my head.

 _You monster._

 _You monster._

 _You monster._

Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head.

 _ **G**_

 _ **E  
T**_

O  
U  
T

O  
F

M  
Y

H  
E  
A  
D

 _ **.**_

* * *

How do I get rid of these voices…

How?

HOW?

 **HOW?**

I know.

I'll kill myself.

* * *

I have rope.

I have a chair.

I have a room where no one can stop me.

I saw the gallows, how men were hanged.

I copied the method.

I tied the noose.

I stand on the chair.

I put the noose around my neck.

…

…

…

 _You monster. You monster. You monster._

Get out of my head.

 _You monster. Die. Die monster._

Get out of my head. Get out of my head. Get out of my head.

 _Kill yourself. Die. Die. DIE._

Getoutofmyheadgetoutofmyheadgetoutofmyheadgetoutofmyheadgetoutofmyheadgetoutofmyhead.

 _ **GET OUT**_ **.**

I kicked the chair-

I can't breathe. It's tightening around my neck. I can't breathe. There's no air.

I don't want this.

I don't want this.

Help, i'm choking.

 _Augh, egh, uuhh-._

I'll take it off.

My fingers grab at the rope. I scratch at it.

It's not working.

 _Ugh, uuh-ahh, hegh-._

IT'S NOT WORKING! HELP!

HELP ME! HELP! HELP ME! HE-

 _Uhhhhg, ghhaahh, ggghhuhggg._

My vision's fading. My mind is shutting off.

I'm dying.

Goodbye.

* * *

Now that the harvesting of the fields was done, and winter was right around the corner, Wolfe was planning on training Yuri more on farming, a bit of trading, finding sources for the seeds and equipment necessary for running a farm, as well as managing finances, repairing tools, and a lot of other important information regarding her responsibilities. Yuri took all of this in at an abnormally fast rate, contrary to her rather slow intake of the subject a month ago. But Wolfe didn't question it. In the end, he was just happy to have someone working with him on the farm.

Wolfe looked up to see the sun setting once again, and so got up from the opposite end of the Yuri, who was sifting through the most recent Farmer's Almanac, a book that was sent out to farmers who could pay for it every year, and contained many things essential to any big-time farmer.

"Welp, I think it's 'bout time I go take my porch break." Wolfe stated, his countryside accent blatant. Now that he had gotten accustomed to having Yuri on the farm for some time now, he no longer kept up his formal manner around her, only really using it when heading into town for supplies and such.

Yuri looked at him with a hint of disappointment in her eyes. "O-oh, already?..."

Wolfe glanced at her, sighing. "Fine." He stated. "I guess we can one more lesson."

Yuri looked at him with a starry gaze in her eyes and, being just 15 years old, he couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat at the sight. Nevertheless, he shook his head and got up. "I'm gonna go get the book on Tool Repair, and we'll go over the necessary procedures once more."

Yuri looked up at him, nodding fervently, her mouth slightly agape, as if she was enamored just by the sight of him. Wolfe felt himself blushing once again, turning his head towards the stairs. "And close your mouth before a fly makes its way in there."

Yuri now realized her mouth was slightly open and closed it, her face turning red. "S-sorry…" She muttered.

Wolfe began making his way downstairs, reaching the bookshelf that contained most of the info he had compiled and bought regarding farming and other necessities tied to it. He sifted through the shelf, eventually picking out ' _The Dummy's Guide to A Farmer's Tool Repairs'_.

 _Why does it have to be named that?_ , Wolfe wondered in irritation.

With that, Wolfe huddled the book under his arm, securing it in place, and walked up the stairs. Once he reached the top step, he noticed that Yuri was absent from her chair. He glanced around curiously whilst walking over to set down the book on the table. He then looked around, wondering where she went. There were four different doors leading to four different rooms on the second floor, and their studying place was a table sat next to a window at the end of the hallway. Wolfe eventually assumed that she had to go wash her hands or something. After all, they had just gotten done storing the rest of the crops they had just harvested from a week ago in the warehouse next to the cabin, having gotten their hands dirty in the process, so that was the only conclusion he could come to.

He was about to take a seat at the table to wait for Yuri when he heard a creak downstairs. He froze, placing his hand on the dagger sheath hooked to his belt. He got up, creeping over to the stairs, meticulously taking a step at a time down the stairs, slowly pulling out the knife from its holster, making great pains to avoid any intruder in the house from hearing the soft hiss of iron scraping leather. He inverted the blade of the dagger, turning the blade downwards so as to have it ready for stabbing anyone that dared to break into his establishment.

He heard someone coming up the stairs and readied his dagger, raising it to his side, and quickly turned the corner to-

"Ah! Wolfe!" Yuri backed up in surprise from the sudden appearance and felt her foot slipping on the last step, about to tumble backwards down the stairs. Wolfe quickly gasped and caught her hand pulling her forward to prevent her from falling. However, he overestimated how much he needed to pull, and so brought her tumbling onto him. Causing him to crash backwards.

Wolfe groaned, feeling a crushing weight on top of him. His face was buried in something….

He yelped as he realized that Yuri's breasts were smothering him. Yuri looked down at him, at first not realizing the awkward position they were in. Then, slowly, her and his face consecutively turned red as cherries, both of them scrambling to get off of each other. They turned away from each other, Wolfe kneeling on the staircase, heavily panting as he felt blood rush to his head. He could hear Yuri mewling in embarrassment and decided the best thing right now was to get some air.

"i'M gOnNa Go OuTsIdE fOr A sEcOnD!" His voice reached high pitches at every other syllable as he ran down the stairs and opened the front door, resting on the porch steps outside, groaning in exasperation. He covered his face with shame as he sat there for a couple minutes.

…

…

…

It was cold outside. The wind blew the cold air onto him even more, making him shiver. He began to realize just how ridiculous he was acting right now. It was a simple mistake, and he just needed to go inside and make a quick apology for the situation. Sure, it would be awkward, but he should not be one to act so stupidly over something so trivial. That brought him to the thought of Yuri showing up from _downstairs_. After all, he had just went down there to get the book from the bookshelf, which was in the living room, so that meant that she had crept down the stairs silently and quickly to go do whatever she had planned on doing. Wolfe was both unsettled and impressed by the thought of that clumsy and shy girl being able to stealth around like a fox like that.

Wolfe sighed once more. He went to sheath his-

"Wait, where's my knife?" He said aloud, realizing that he was not holding his dagger. He must have dropped it when the accident had happened. Well, that was convenient, as he was about to go inside to settle the situation anyways. He got up from the porch steps, dusting himself off and opening the front door to walk back inside. He went to the stairs, but noticed that Yuri had left her spot. He shrugged. It was to be expected. She was probably sitting in her room and groaning in humiliation. He went to collect his knife, but he noticed that was missing from the staircase. Perplexed, he searched all around the stairs, looking to see if it had fell somewhere he was not aware of.

After a thorough inspection, he came to the conclusion that Yuri must have grabbed it for him. He went up the stairs, looking around for Yuri. That was when he noticed the door to Yuri's bedroom was slightly ajar.

Wolfe felt a little flustered, but he decided it was necessary to go do what he needed to do. He went to open the door when he heard a moan emitting from inside. Wolfe stopped in his tracks, his cheeks flaring up once again as his mind instantly went to dirty thoughts. He shook his head in frustration, unable to believe he would think such things. He probably mistook it for groaning or something-

"Uuhh…."

Nope, that was moaning. Wolfe froze, his hand halfway to the door handle. By now, he had no idea what the Hekk she was doing in there. He decided the best course of action would simply be to call to her in there.

"Yuri, you in there?" He said, raising his voice a bit so as to make sure she heard it. He heard a yelp of surprise, then some scrambling noises, along with a sudden clang of iron. It sounded like a knife….

"Can I come in?" He asked tentatively.

"U-uh-um…..one second!"

For some reason, Wolfe felt an eerie suspicion build up inside him, he had gone on a long time on trusting his instincts, and so abruptly opened the door to see Yuri frantically moving in the corner of the room, which was dimly lit by the faint sunlight shining in through the window. She yelped once more at his sudden entrance, shaking quite heavily in the corner of the room, in front of her writing desk.

"What….uh…..what were you doing in here?" He asked inquisitively, a hint of shame present in his tone.

"Wha? Oh-uh-eh, I was….uh….just….you know…." Yuri stumbled her own words, her face turning more and more red as she tried to form a sentence.

Wolfe scanned the room curiously, and eventually noticed some stains around the area that Yuri was in. Along with that, he noticed a slight glint under the bed as light reflected off of the source. Finally, he noticed that Yuri was keeping her arms close to her body, the sleeves of her shirt pulled up more than necessary. By this time, Wolfe's suspicion was fully aroused, and he walked over to the glint, pulling out the object. Yuri protested loudly for him to stop.

In his hand was his dagger, newly stained blood evident over the sharp edge. He looked over at Yuri, who was huddling even more against the writing desk now, keeping her sleeves pulled down more than before. The knife, the stains on the ground, her pulled-down sleeves.

Wolfe walked over to Yuri, who was pleading for him to stop. "Give me your arm." He said with an assertive tone.

"No-I-please-"

"Yuri, give me your arm!" He shouted, causing her to mewl in fright. He grabbed her arm and rolled up her sleeve.

 _Cuts lined her arms, from the sides of the wrist all the way up to her elbow. They bled profusely, drops of blood irregularly dripping off her arm and splashing onto the floorboards below, a faint_ _ **blip**_ _heard as they did._

Wolfe gazed in horror at the sight, feeling his whole body shiver at the scene. Meanwhile, Yuri got up slowly, her eyes now having that same hyperactive look to them, but magnified by ten. They darted around, feeling Wolfe up and down, a wide grin now taking up half her face. She walked towards Wolfe, who dropped the knife in shock and backed away, eventually feeling the back of his legs hit the bed. He glanced downwards, then back up at Yuri, who was now gazing at him with those lecherous eyes, which gleamed with obsession. She suddenly grabbed him by his arms, bringing him down at the bed whilst keeping that intense stare upon him.

" _Wolfe."_ She muttered in ecstasy. " _I can't describe this feeling for you. It's like every nerve in my body is screaming to be with you. I want to feel you. I want to touch you from head to toe. I want to f**k you, Wolfe. I want to feel you inside me. Can you please, please, PLEASE GIVE ME THAT, WOLFE?"_ She shouted in complete euphoria, moaning loudly as she felt her senses tingle wildly just by staring at him.

Wolfe, on the other hand, was about freaked the f**k out, struggling against her suddenly strong grip, hyperventilating from the situation. Never before had he faced something like this, and he had no idea what to do. S

She continued her lascivious actions, and began rubbing her body lustfully on Wolfe, moaning loudly the entire time, her tongue hanging out from the actions. Eventually, Wolfe felt his offense from these actions build up so considerably that he finally managed the strength to propel her off of him, to which she stumbled backwards, smacking into the writing desk. Wolfe got up, sweating heavily from all over. Yuri looked down to see her hands covered in his sweat, and began licking them passionately, moaning once again.

Wolfe became disgusted by the sight.

"WHAT THE HEKK IS WRONG WITH YOU, YURI?!" He boomed.

She looked over at him once more, licking her lips, her mouth agape, her eyes still containing that hyperactive stare. She got up, and began ranting.

" _Wolfe, I can't stand it. My body, mind, and soul are screaming to be with you, to look at you, to_ _ **TOUCH YOU**_ _. I love you, Wolfe. I love you with every fiber of my being. You're so caring, and patient, and hard-working…._ _ **GOD**_ **,** _I can't bear to not be near you for even a second! Please, Wolfe, let me know now….do you accept my confession?"_ She panted heavily, her face gleaming with sweat.

Wolfe stared at her in utter bewilderment. "What the-wha- WHAT IN THE NAME OF TOG ARE YOU SPOUTING, WOMAN?! Why are you acting like this? What's gotten into you?"

" _Please, answer the question, Wolfe! I need to know! Do you accept my confession?"_

"I-ah-wh-uh-wha-"

" _ **DO YOU ACCEPT MY CONFESSION, WOLFE?**_ "

"NO!" Wolfe shouted, his voice cracking from the tension of the situation. "I don't accept your confession, Yuri! _This_ is not love! This is obsession! This is blasphemy! This is madness!" He took a moment to gather his breath. He had no idea where this was coming from, but he felt an irresistible urge to say it. "Love is not something that sets your body on fire with such emotions that makes you act so lecherously, that forces you to spout such things! I don't know exactly what love is, but I _sure_ as Hekk know that what you're doing is not being done out of love! It's being done out of obsessive tendencies! So no, I do _not_ accept your confession, Yuri!"

He panted, having went on a rant himself, placing his hands on his knees in exhaustion from the whole bit. Meanwhile, Yuri stared at him with an unsettlingly calm expression on her face. Wolfe looked up at her, wondering if his message had gotten through to her.

She began laughing quietly.

"Hehehehehehe."

Then louder.

"Hahahahahaha."

Then louder.

"Hahahahahaha!"

 _Then louder, her face now reverting back to that hyperactive state, her body shivering violently as she began laughing uncontrollably._

" _HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"  
_ Out of nowhere, she raised Wolfe's dagger from behind her back, bringing it upwards with both hands. Wolfe's eyes widened in horror. She continued laughing as she now brought the dagger towards her abdomen.

Instinctively, Wolfe dashed forward, grabbing her hands tightly whilst pulling backwards. However, the knife had already gone in halfway, causing her to bleed profusely from the spot. Wolfe's face contorted in rage, and he pulled back Yuri's hands with all his might. She continued to struggle, pulling it forward into the wound. Eventually, Wolfe kneed her in the groin, causing her to grunt in pain, keeling over slightly and loosening her grip on the knife. However, she had also attempted to reassert her dominance over the knife and pushed it forward, stabbing Wolfe in the side. He yelled in pain, but found his chance, ripping the knife from her grasp, breaking the window of the bedroom and tossing the knife out into the field, where she had little chance of getting to it. She screamed and crumpled to the floor, struggling as Wolfe began holding her down. He clenched his teeth, feeling his knife wound twist and turn from his wrestling with Yuri.

Eventually, after a few moments, Yuri began calming down, her struggling beginning to slow down and eventually stop. For a moment, she laid there, wide-eyed, staring at the ceiling. Then, she began tearing up, her eyes watering as she slowly realized what she was about to do. She began sobbing, holding one arm over her eyes as she wailed in torment.

Wolfe, on his side, tired out from the struggle, felt his adrenaline fade away, his emotions now hitting him like a train. He was unable to stop the tears from streaming down his face as he cried in relief. After all, regardless of how mature he was or what he had went through, the whole encounter was a scary thing to him, especially since he was only 15 years old. He had almost lost his newfound friend. He laid there on top of Yuri, crying with Yuri the whole for hours.

"Wolfe….i'm *sniffle* so sorry for that. I couldn't *sniffle* control myself." She said in between her bouts of sobbing. Wolfe managed a few words, also having trouble trying to communicate as his throat closed up.

"I...It's okay….Yuri. Just please….if you ever feel like that…..tell me….tell me, and I promise, I will help you…."

Yuri looked up at him and smiled through her tears.

"Thank you, Wolfe." She said quietly.

* * *

Wesley gasped as he opened his eyes, looking around at his environment in panic. A medical ward. A couple nurses looked over in bewilderment, dropping their trays in absolute confusion. Wolfe began panting heavily, getting up from the bed with only one thing in mind. Finding Marigold.

He was about to catapult off the bed when he groaned loudly, feeling his head ache and a stinging pain in his side. He felt at both spots, feeling a bruise on his head and stitching on a closed-up wound on his side. He pulled up his bloodied tunic to see the knife wound that had been inflicted upon him earlier. He growled, thinking about the scumbag that had tried to hurt Marigold.

 _Mari!_ He thought, alarms setting off in his head. He had an awful feeling about her, and so got up from the bed, making his way towards the exit.

"Sir!"

He briefly turned around to see a cleric, clothed with a dark green, flowing gown secured around the waist with a tied rope, a puffy hat, and a medical book in one hand. He stared at Wesley in bewilderment.  
"How are you...alive?" He asked, perplexed by the what he assumed was a walking corpse. "Your wounds were fatal!"

"I don't give a sh*t right now, cleric! Is a girl by the name of Marigold in this ward?" He asked in desperation.

The clerk backed up slightly, surprised by the man's urgent nature. "Oh, that woman who was hit in the street? Yeah we took care of the wound as best we could, but it didn't look too good. Luckily, she woke up, but she asked us about your condition…" He trailed off after having realized something. Wesley stared at him, a painful knot growing in his stomach.  
"And?" He pressed. The doctor looked up at him, regret present in his eyes.

"We said...that you would not have a good chance of living."

Wesley's eyes widened in fear. He had never thought of what Marigold would do if she had thought he was dead. He resolved to go find her to alleviate her grief.

With that, Wesley took off, groaning as his wounds throbbed continually, but he pressed on, running around town, calling out Sayori's other name in desperation.

"MARIGOLD!"

He ran to the market square, with was empty as it was a stormy night.

"MARIGOLD!"  
He ran to the tavern, which was closed up due to the weather.

"MARI!"

He ran to his house, all the lights having been turned off before they left for their outing.

"Mari…"

He dropped to his knees on the cobblestone, Wondering where else she could possibly be. He got a nagging feeling to go outside of the town, as there was a horse stable that was right outside the front gate. He remembered a conversation with her, where she had mentioned that she really liked horses.

 _Maybe she's finding comfort with the horses in the stable,_ Wesley thought, and so ran out the front gate, first clearing up with the guards on his business. They nodded and let him out, warning him on the weather. He nodded and dashed for the stables. The rain beat down on him as the thick, grey clouds from above covered the expanse of the entire landscape, occasional thunder striking the land. Wesley saw the stables within sight, feeling hope as he reached them. He finally arrived at the door, hearing the horses neigh loudly from the thunder. He opened the door, walking in.

His hands dropped to his sides, his mouth fell open, his eyes widened in horror.

Before him, Sayori was hanging, desperately clawing at the rope that was slowly constricting around her neck. Her face had turned pale as she was losing blood to her head. Drool had come slithering down from her mouth, and her eyes were glazing over as he brain was losing precious oxygen. She dangled helplessly a chair having been kicked over from where she was.

Wesley felt a cold shiver arouse his skin, and he screamed in terror, running up to hold Sayori up by her legs, yelling her name over and over.

"MARI! OH MY TOG! HOLD ON! I'LL HELP YOU DOWN! PLEASE, DON'T DIE ON ME!"  
He gave her some time to breathe, allowing oxygen and blood to flow back into her head.

"I'm so sorry, Mari, but wait just one second while I get the chair up."

He released her quickly, feeling his heart break at the sound of her gagging resumed. He quickly picked the chair up and placed Mari's feet on it, then got up on the chair, holding her up whilst taking out his dagger. Holding her with one hand, he used his other to cut the rope holding her up. He began sawing at it, cursing at it for taking so long. Finally, it snapped, and Wesley felt the chair tip backwards as Sayori's full weight came tumbling down. He leaned forward hard, turning around so that his back would hit the mud below, Sayori's weight causing him to grunt as they came crashing to the ground.

He wasted no time cutting off the noose that was around her neck, throwing it to the side. He dropped his dagger and held her like a stuffed toy, cuddling her whilst sobbing his heart out, like a little boy who had almost lost his mother. Tears came streaming down his face uncontrollably as he clenched to her, as if afraid he might lose her by letting go.

Sayori coughed violently as air began circulating through her once again, oxygen and blood returning to her brain. Wesley heard this and turned her over, sitting by as she then became sick violently onto the floor. Wesley then brought her over to a wall, setting her against it, hugging her tightly once she was set.

"Mari….why….why would you do such a thing…."

As she began to slowly gain consciousness, she felt her eyes well up with tears of relief, and she began crying as her worries and depression dissipated quickly.

"Wesley….I thought…..I thought you were…..dead…..I'm so glad you're alive….."

She then hugged Wesley back, clenching to him tightly, now wailing in relief. And so, the two sat there, in the stables, covered in mud, their sobbing piercing through the now-calming storm, as rain turned from a torrent to light patter, as the thunder receded from the landscape, the grey clouds clearing the sky for a full moon to present itself above them.

Sayori was safe. That's all that Wesley cared about.

* * *

Rulf slammed his mug down, sighing loudly in happiness after downing a good half-pint of ale. He laughed heartily, now being properly drunk. Monika sat to his right, smiling sweetly as she saw her one true love in a merry manner. Subconsciously, she knew that winter was approaching, and was planning on telling the whole group about the idea of Christmas. She couldn't wait to give her present to Rulf.

Meanwhile, Rulf, the legend himself, wrapped his arm around Monika, pulling her in, to which she yelped in delight. As he turned his head towards her, she could very blatantly his flushed cheeks, a sign of his growing inebriation. He giggled, using his other hand to poke her nose.

"Boop." He said, to which he then hollered with laughter. Monika giggled as well, feeling a strong urge to kiss him. Two others sat with them at the table, Malin & Natsuki. Malin roared with laughter, slapping the table with one hand, pint of beer in the other. Natsuki, who had also gotten a hold of a filled mug herself, was also quite drunk herself (cuz, you know, middle ages and bar age limit aren't in the same timeline). Seeing the sight, she averted her eyes from Malin.

"I wish you'd do stuff like that sometimes." She muttered under her breath, obviously aimed at Malin. As if on cue, he grabbed Natsuki, to which she yelped in surprise, and booped her nose as well. She squealed in delight, but immediately covered her mouth with one hand, as if realizing how embarrassing that was. However, everyone in the bar, at this point in the night, was about as drunk as Rulf and Malin, and they didn't seem to notice either, so she blushed and smiled, this time gazing at Malin.

The four seemed to be having a jolly good time, until some random ass mofo decided to show up, sliding into the seat to the left of Rulf. A female, who was not quite that bad looking, sporting a linen shirt with rolled up-sleeves, some plain brown trousers and a farmer's hat. She also seemed to be quite drunk (as I had mentioned earlier in this section, everyone is just drunk af), giggling incessantly, her cheeks also flushed, and she leaned in close to Rulf, grinning cheekily. He could see that she had blue eyes and freckles on her face, which was rather pretty.

"How ya *hiccup* doin', handsome?" She asked amorously, her farmer accent quite distinct now that she was intoxicated. "Name's Liz. Ah' see yer enjoyin' yerself. What's yer trade?"

Rulf looked at her with quite a wary expression. She didn't look like the type, but he'd run into plenty of women who'd flirted and tried to woo him for a number of reasons. Some for money, others for more sadistic reasons. Most of them had done it for some selfish reason, and he kept his guard up because of it.

"What's it to you, _Liz?_ "

Regardless of that, he wasn't exactly a woman's man. She grinned even wider.

"Just tryna make conversation, ya lout." She said in a joking manner.

"Y-yeah? Well, we're conversing here already."

He wasn't good with women.

"So, you can, you know, go talk to your lady friends or something…."

At all.

"I mean, not that i'm trying to offend you or anything, but-"

HOLY F**K, STOP TALKING!

Rulf cringed, feeling an inner voice in his head nag at him for continuing such a useless conversation. He should probably listen to that voice. Liz tilted her head in curiosity at the action.

"What was that? You a bit _too_ drunk?"

"N-no, i'm just listening to the, uh, the voice that's telling me to tell you to-"

That's it.

Out of nowhere, a beer mug came flying towards Rulf's head and smashed into a ton of pieces as it broke on his head. They fell to the floor as he grabbed his head, cursing wildly. Malin roared with laughter, pounding his fist on the table and pointing at Rulf's head, to which the comical relief had occurred.

"Bro, that was so comically relieving! Hahaha!"

You're next, Malin.

"You think i'm gonna be next-"

Out of nowhere once again, another surprise mug came sailing towards Malin, smashing even harder into his head than the other mug hit Rulf. However, Malin's head was so thick, on top of him being drunk, that he didn't even notice the mug breaking onto his head. Truly a terrifying representation of retard strength.

Rulf got up from his spot at the table, looking down at the maiden before him. He spoke to her through clenched teeth, a smile mirroring that of a wolf plastered over his face.

" _Miss Liz_ , I plan on leaving now, so I need you to do me a favor and _move_." He uttered through his teeth. The woman shrugged and moved back, allowing for Rulf to storm past and out of the tavern. Monika got up and quickly followed behind him, quickly glancing at Liz with a murderous stare before resuming her sweet smile, following closely behind the now-drunken Rulf, who damn near fell over as he pushed open the tavern door and stumbled out onto the cobblestone street, which was quite slippery from the recent drizzle.

As they walked home, Monika felt a burning sensation of hatred for the woman that had tried to woo her Rulf. Of course, she was absolutely captivated with him now that he had managed to avoid her disgusting methods (when really, Liz kind of flirted with every guy in the tavern). She mentally noted down to later reward him for his stalwart action.

The two finally arrived at their lodge, which was beginning to look like a home. They had cleared out more of the forestry, making way for a quite sizable yard, both front and back. The axes that had done so much work laid against the wall next to the door, and a pile of logs was stacked under a wooden shelter, which had four columns of wood supporting a slanted wooden roof over it. On top of that, they had also cleared out a space where a small pond was present, a grouping of cattails swaying slightly as a small breeze blew them softly. ( _Look up 'pragser wildsee' on Google Images for a semblance of what this looks like)_

Of course, the duck which Rulf had detested for so long (which Monika had named Dan, for reasons unknown) was sitting in the pond and, upon seeing the two, quacked its haughty greetings. Rulf, still at massive odds with the duck, raised his middle finger towards it out of habit, as it was standard at this point.

Finally, the two had made their way inside, Rulf still giggling thanks his intoxication, having forgotten all about the mug that had smacked him in the head, fell onto the double bed, rolling over and almost instantly falling asleep. Monika smiled at him once again and, being sure that he was fully out, walked up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She then turned around, her eyes filled with malice and fury. She picked up an unlit torch along with a canister of lantern oil. She then poured a bit of oil over the rag that was tightly wrapped around the stick, capping it before picking up a piece of flint, then threw open the lodge door, making her way to Northham to carry out her nefarious deed.

* * *

Rulf woke up to the sound of fire crackling faintly, and got up groggily to investigate the sound. He walked up to the window facing Northham and gazed outwards. He became extremely alarmed when he saw, to the far right of the town, a burning barn amidst growing crops and a farmhouse. He saw as dozens of specks rushed around the area, and assumed they were people trying to put out the fire. Quickly getting his gear on, he ran out and, after around 15 minutes, ended up around 75 meters away from the blazing fire. He stared in bewilderment at the scene, watching as dozens of people, with buckets of water, scurried back and forth between a nearby river, filling up their buckets and dumping them onto the blazing fire.

Rulf caught one urgent individual and questioned him on how the fire had started.

"No idea, sir! There was no indication that there would be one, and the owner claims she there was nothing that could have started it!"

Rulf's mind stopped in his tracks, a nagging feeling at the back of his mind.

"She?"

"Yeah, the owner of this farm, Elizabeth Brook."

"Does she…..go by any nicknames, perchance?"  
"Yeah, most people call her Liz, why?"

Rulf looked back at the raging fire, letting a few moments pass by. The man he had questioned had run back off to take care of the fire.

Rulf continued gazing at the fire.

He remembered seeing one of his torches missing from the pile.

He also remembered the door being slightly ajar when he woke up.

He threw his hands up in exasperation.

"MONIKA, FOR FU-"

* * *

Rulf opened the door to his cabin, seeing Monika sleeping soundly on her side of the bed, snoring cutely. He walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder lightly. She stirred from her sleep and turned over, smiling sweetly as she saw Rulf fill her vision.

He was absolutely furious.

"Get up."

"Wha-"

"GET UP!"

Monika yelped as Rulf grabbed her by the arm and pulled her off the bed, led her over to the table, and shoved her into the chair. She said nothing as he did so. After she was seated, he kept holding her arm with one hand, his other planted on the table. He peered down at her.

"What the Hekk, Monika?! Why would you jeopardize our cover like that?!"

Monika was taken aback, more so out of confusion and surprise than shame. She had expected him to question her on why she had burned the barn.

"Wh-what do you-"

"You can't go around doing shit like that! I'm trying to avoid the city guards, and the last thing I need is to be traced back here because my arsonist partner couldn't resist!"

"So...you don't care that the barn was burned down?"

"I really couldn't give a shit if that whole _town_ burned to the ground. I just don't want to get caught and thrown in prison or executed. So don't pull shit like that again, or we're parting ways _immediately_. You got that?"

Monika nodded fervently. Despite how angry Rulf was at the moment, he couldn't help but leave it there. From what she had told him when she first came here, it sounded like she was new to _all_ of this. Interaction with people, surviving, getting a job, basically everything there was to _life_. She gave off such a strong vibe on how naive she was to just basic living, that it honestly kind of scared Rulf.

He sighed, releasing his grip from her shoulder and rubbing it, feeling a bit bad for gripping it so hard. Rulf then took up stay in a chair by the table.

"You heard what I said, which means you better not do this again. Okay?"

Monika nodded once more, slower this time. She began to realize that Rulf viewed the world much differently than other people, just by what he had told her just now. Clearly, his morality was not as high as others' would be.

But that was just fine for Monika. If anything, that was _perfect._

As Rulf slid out of the chair and towards his bed, he began to take off his gear from a hard day of work.

 _"Quack."_

Rulf froze. He scanned the lodge around him.

"Where the Hekk did that-"

 _"Quack."_

Rulf could feel his anger beginning to flare up. He looked towards the window. They had recently taken off the boards and got it replaced with shutters, so that they could get some fresh air when needed-

 _"Quack."_

"Why is the damn duck on the window sill?!"

Monika shrugged.

"It's just Nigel. What's the problem?"

Unfortunately for her, Rulf had not yet gotten over her previous fuck-up, and so directed his gaze back to her, his eyebrows furrowed.

"You know what? I was just thinking of a suitable punishment for what you did, and now I think I've found one. Since you like that stupid FUCKING duck so much, you can sleep outside tonight with him!"


	8. Chapter 8: Recovery & The Past (Part 1)

**Suggestion** \- While reading these chapters, put on ambience music that will help simulate the environment in the story. Such recommended channels are the 'Guild of Ambience', 'Sword Coast Soundscapes', 'Pandora Journey', and 'The Spirit of Orchestral Music'.

You may not realize it, but using such background ambience enhances your reading of the story over 10 times more.

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Recovery & The Past (Part 1)**

Natsuki and Malin made their way back to their room in the tavern, the Fried Chicken, stumbling and bumbling, hoping not to fall face-first onto the wooden floorboards below. They managed to get there without doing so, Malin opening up the door and staggering in, surprising the little girl who was sitting there reading a book peacefully. Natsuki walked in right behind him, peering at the little girl who had taken refuge with them for the past two weeks.

"Why are you still here?" She inquired, temporarily forgetting why she was here.

The girl, whom they had found out was named Annis, was the potential victim of that predator that had kidnapped her and Natsuki not too long ago. Malin had brought her back, about to report her condition to the guards when she pleaded with him not to and told him her story. Apparently, she lived in a small village named Autumond, located in Itala, which was a country in Uropa that was mainly controlled by the Romana Empire. This would be quite a dangerous trip, as several factors came into play when considering this journey.

Of course, Malin was ready to go at the drop of a hat, because he's a dumbass. But Natsuki, who had now become the new, functioning brain of Malin, stopped him from this, discussing the problems and potential risks and dangers of this sudden adventure.

For one, they would be gone for quite a long time. Not 10-20 days, not even a month or two. A trip like that, especially on foot, and taking into account everything that could potentially happen, including sleeping at night, rest breaks, potential battles, and other factors make up the trip to be _at least_ 4 months, if not more. Walking the way back would be another long trip. Uropa was a big place, and on top of the fact that they don't exactly have the best of maps to lead them around, they would most definitely find themselves lost several times, _especially with Malin_.

She knew it was a damn near fruitless labor over a single girl, and so Natsuki was about to reject it, but on top of Malin's heroic instincts coupled with this cute little girl wanting to go home, the best she could do was postpone this trip she didn't even plan on going on in the first place. She tried to convince her to go with the next person heading there, but she said that would be extremely dangerous and risky for her, for reasons she could not reveal to them. Natsuki knew she was definitely hiding something, but she couldn't pinpoint what, and so she and Malin came to the consensus to simply let her stay at the tavern for as long as they could keep her.

One thing she was anxious about was getting out of the cramped room they had stayed in for so long to buy their own house, even if it wasn't much, but Natsuki knew that that chance would be slim for a pair of adventuring private contracto-*ahem* _heroes_ like themselves. Natsuki sighed, wondering if-

"Hey, Suzette, i've decided we should buy a house in this town."

Natsuki looked up at him, unsettled by how convenient he was at times.

"Do we have the money for it?" She asked bluntly.

"Nope, which is why we're gonna go out on a really profitable contract I had found in town earlier this morning!" Malin flashed that same insufferable smile he did whenever he was set on a goal or finishing a task. Natsuki sighed, moving to go put on her gear.

"How far away is it, and what's the objective?"

"About 20 miles, give or take, and the mission is to slay an ogre!"

"Okay, so it'll take about a day or two- wait, what's an ogre?"

Malin looked at her quizzically. "You don't know what an ogre is?"

Natsuki shook her head. "Sounds scary, though."

Annis had looked up from her book, intrigued in the conversation. Malin waved his hand dismissively.

"They're not that scary. Honestly, we could take it down easily if we work together."

Natsuki took his word for it, but she felt a slight trickle of doubt wriggle in her mind, realizing that Malin was quite the overconfident individual, and that he could say many things that were extremely difficult for normal people were easy for himself. However, having never engaged in a battle, she felt that she might as well rely on the experienced warrior's word for it, and they needed that contract money to get themselves a house so they no longer needed to stay in such a cramped room.

"So, when are we going?" Natsuki asked him.

"Right now." Malin stated, grinning.

* * *

Annis, having no guardian besides those two, was compelled to join them in the adventure, to which Natsuki first protested, but was convinced by Annis that she would provide no burden upon them, and would even help with bringing extra supplies. Natsuki, in the end, saw no reason to resist, considering that the girl really did have no one else to rely on, and so she begrudgingly agreed to take her on with them for the journey.

The three walked on for some time, seeing ruins of ancient castles, miles of spread-out greenery, forests, blue skies, and several other beautiful sights. Oddly, they rarely encountered any threats, the road being virtually cleaned of hostiles or enemies. This unsettled Natsuki, because although Brimmen was a relatively safe country, it all depended on how expansive and influential the towns were, and, being this far out, there should have been _at least_ a couple ambitious highwaymen, maybe a couple wild animals.

And yet, there weren't even many animals or people on this trail in general. It was truly unsettling to Natsuki, who was starting to become bothered by the growing doubt in her mind. Yet, they pressed on.

Eventually, night fell upon them, and they set down their supplies whilst they set up camp, Natsuki pitching a tent, Malin sparking a fire, Annis arranging their food. They sat there by the fire, Malin keeping watch as he was the first shift. Eventually, Natsuki felt pressed to start some conversation.

"So, Annis…..what's it like in Autumond?"

Annis looked up at her, considering the question.

"It's….nice. I mean, I couldn't really say it's peaceful, because we are currently having a lot of civil wars in that area, but…"

She covered her mouth, realizing that she had apparently revealed too much about herself. This led to Natsuki's suspicion arousing from her actions.

"Why are you so secretive-"

Malin jumped in to fill in the plot we need right now because i'm trying to get these last three chapters done as soon as possible, so we don't have time for filler.

"Hey Natsuki, where did you come from?"

Natsuki looked up at him, puzzled.

"I dunno. The last thing I remember is waking up in the ruins. Why do you ask?"

"Dunno. I just felt like asking."

Natsuki sighed. "Well, Malin, if we're looking for conversation, I'd like to know: why do you want to become a hero?"

At this, Malin's eyes glazed over, and he sat down by the campfire, staring into the blazing red and orange that spread a glowing and soothing hue across the camp. (Don't actually stare at a fire IRL. That's not good for your eyes. Better yet, just don't be like Malin, and your rate of surviving and doing good in this world will go up by, like, 85%)

"It was quite a while ago…"

* * *

 _16 years ago, Malin is born, under the name, 'Daemon'._

In the village of Dryshade, a small grouping of hamlets with the focus of logging and fishing in the nearby river. A rather simple village in the forests, but filled with many dark secrets. Daemon was a despised child in the village, mainly due to his father, who was a known, terrifying warlord that had trekked across all of Uropa and, having raped one of the women in the village himself, decided to leave her with the care of the kid. The mother, however, was a compassionate and loving woman, who in fact saved the village from being razed by offering herself to the warlord.

She was proclaimed to be a hero of the village for her sacrificial, heroic deed. But the child, on the other hand, was a different story. Being so young, and with the semblance of the brutally cruel warlord, he was often stoned, spat upon, cursed and beaten up by the other people of the village, his mother aware of this, yet subtly allowing for it to happen. In fact, it was only the fact that she had saved the village and was his mother that he wasn't killed or driven off by the villagers.

One day, when Daemon was 11, his mother had been attacked by a bear whilst she was out in the forest gathering herbs for Malin's favorite stew. Over the course of her healing period, her mind deteriorated as a result of her head trauma, and she grew bitter and hateful. One day, while Daemon was treating her, she grabbed him by the scuff of his shirt, pulling him close.

" _I wanted to go places, Daemon_." She hissed at him. " _I wanted to travel far and see the ends of this world. I wanted to find love and happiness, to experience grief and sorrow, to see beautiful things. YOU took that away from me, Daemon._ "

Daemon stood there, sobbing as he took in the cruel words his mother was spouting at him.

" _Do you even know what Daemon means?_ " She. " _It means 'evil spirit', because you're nothing but a terrible wrath that's lorded over my life! I wish you would just **die** already!"_

Daemon couldn't take it anymore. The one person, for all of his life, the only one that had cared for him, that had shown him any form of love, was his mother, and now even _she_ had become alien to him. He screamed in rage, pain, horror, and sadness all at once, releasing years of torment and suffering. He took up the nearest sharp object, a cutlery knife, and began stabbing her in the stomach as she wailed in horror and agony. She died seconds later, and Malin felt the bloodied knife fall out of his hand and clatter to the ground. He sat there, shell shocked, looking at his blood-soaked hands, then to his mother.

And he felt...excited. So excited.

He ran out of the village, away from his pain and torment.

For 6 months, Malin wandered around the country, surviving off of killing small animals, crafting his own tools and shelters, and stealing fire from nearby villages. Eventually, he happened upon the village of Pinegarde and saw that it was being raided by bandits. This was the perfect chance, as Daemon had to suppress the urge to kill people for the past 2 months, having killed others in the past because it became unbearable to hold it in.

He ran down, pulling out his primitively-made knife and going after bandits one by one, slitting their throats, stabbing their legs and lower torsos, and essentially going on a murderous rampage. Once the massacre was finished, he stood, drenched in blood, among a plethora of corpses. He looked over at the villagers in the area, who were still hiding.

That was when he heard the first good term for himself he had ever heard in his entire life.

"You're our _hero_ , child!"

With that, he felt himself lifted by the villagers, who were celebrating their saviour so fervently. With this, Daemon, for the first time in his life, felt his spirits lifted to unspeakable levels, and he began sobbing in relief. Once they brought him down, one of the villagers asked for his name. He remembered, long ago, seeing a statue of a proud warrior, the label saying 'Malyn'. However, he misremembered it to be 'Malin', and so proclaimed that that was his name.

From there, Malin felt inspired to be a hero, to save everyone he could from grisly and cruel fates or outcomes, to free as many people as he could from the ravenous clutching claws of evil.

And thus, the story of Malin the Hero started.

* * *

Malin, having finished his story, was surprised to see looks of concern from both Annis and Natsuki.

"What's the problem, guys?"

Natsuki, who was now saddened by his horrible beginnings, simply turned her attention towards the fire (seriously, guys, don't look into fires). His story did not mention his dual personality, nor his real name, only his experiences. In fact, he wasn't even aware of his other personality.

"It's….nothing, Malin." Having heard the story, she was once again deeply disturbed by just how cruel and dark this world could be, which was why she was even more thankful to find someone as fun-loving and good as Malin. "Let's get to bed. Tomorrow's gonna be a big day."

* * *

As Wesley and Sayori sat together against the stable wall (yes, we're still here), Wesley looked over at her, his knees scrunched up against himself, keeping his hands on his knees, whilst Sayori clutched to the front of her legs as they were scrunched up against her. She had just told him about the empty feelings and depression she had been experiencing irregularly over the past 2 months, and that this was the worst it had been. However, it was not helped by her believing that Wesley was dead.

"Mari…I need to ask. Why didn't you tell me something like this happened before?"

Sayori looked up at him, her eyes reddened by how much she had been crying before.  
"I….I never knew what it was, and I was going to go see someone about it, but it didn't seem like there was anybody who could treat this. _You_ were really the only cure for my ailment, Wesley."

Wesley, cast his eyes downward.

"By the way, Wesley….why are you helping me so much?"

"What do you mean? You're my trading partner-"

"I don't mean that, Wesley. I'm sure that not every trading partner buys their other partner tons of gifts, takes them out to expensive places, commits such brutal actions, and even goes so far as to risk their lives several times over like that."

Wesley raised his eyes once again, this time a sense of depravity and emotional instability in them. Sayori was unsettled by this.

"If you truly want to know…"

* * *

After a couple days of traveling, the two had finally arrived upon their destination, the village of Oxwallow, which Wesley recounted was where he grew up. It was abandoned, with only a few, broken down hamlets dotting the land. Sayori looked around at the disconcerting scene.

"Why is it so….desolate?"

Wesley turned his gaze back to her, still filled with those same emotions that manifested in the stables.

"A psychopath."

* * *

Burning houses. Screaming villagers. Crying children. One girl wreaked all this havoc, laughing in complete insanity whilst slaughtering civilians left and right, setting fire to hamlets, and just causing chaos overall. This was the night that changed Wesley's life.

"Wesley! Get your sister and run away from this, as far as you can!"

Wesley, age 10 at this time, gazed in horror upon the horrible spectacle before him. His mother, who was injured by a fallen piece of timber, had her leg crippled, and so pleaded with Wesley to take Ivy, his sister, with him to escape. Their father had already been murdered by the psychopath whilst attempting to hold her off from attacking his family, but was disemboweled in the process.

He saw the psychopath turn her attention towards him, grinning maliciously as she began making her way towards them. With this, Wesley picked up his crying sister and ran off towards the wheat fields which the village grew. He felt the tall thickets make way as he ran, sobbing, through the torrenting storm.

 _Crack._

Wesley yelped as he tripped over a loose rock, dropping his sister. He heard the psychopath come up behind him.

 _"Big mistake, sheep."_

In a mix of rage and sorrow for his village's slaughter, he slid out the small knife his father had given him and whipped around, stabbing the psychopath in the leg. She screamed in pain, and Wesley took this chance to pick up his sister and continue running. He heard insane laughter from behind him as he receded into the forest.

After an hour or so, the two found themselves at a small cabin, which lay among the dense thicket of trees in the area. He dashed inside, closing the door behind him whilst setting down his sister by the fireplace, to which he quickly set to igniting as they had gone over an hour in the cold rain outside. As he lit the fire, he could hear the heavy pounding of the rain hit the walls of the house outside. And so him and his sister sat there, shivering and crying, in front of a small fire, unsure of what to do next.

" _I've found you."_

Wesley turned around at the sudden voice, his eyes widening in terror as he gazed upon the psychopathic woman lingering at the door, soaked in the blood of his friends and family. She grinned insidiously, holding a pair of bloodied daggers in her hands. She limped inside, blood running down her leg, closing the door behind her. Wesley felt alarm at her presence, shielding his sister with his hands and body, looking the psychopath in the eyes with a mix of rage and fear.

The psychopath laughed maniacally, a tilting her head as her wide-open eyes and bloodied teeth stared at him so unsettlingly.

" _I like you, boy."_ She uttered, immediately moving to smack him across the head with the handle of her dagger, to which he crumpled to the floor, consciousness failing him. He last saw the psychopath moving to knock his sister unconscious as well.

When he awoke, he found himself tied, by his hands, to the post of a single bed that was in the cabin. On the opposite end of him, shackled to the fireplace, was his 8 year old sister, who was wriggling in fright and yelling for her parents. He tried to move to help her, but was held back by the rope attached to the post of the bed, not having enough strength to pull the entire thing forward.

" _I see you two are awake."_

Wesley looked to his right to see the psychopathic woman standing over him, grinning as horribly as ever. She began licking her lips, as if about to consume a feast.

" _You know, I have killed so many people, and rarely do those people ever face up against me as you did. Bravery…"_

Wesley saw her eyes fill with lust, and she began rubbing herself so lecherously.

" _Oh, how it turns me on! To see my prey struggle to fight!"_

She then gazed at his sister, grinning even wider than before.

" _But what turns me on even more is seeing my victims unable to do anything as I slaughter their loved ones, to watch them cry and wriggle back and forth as they are forced to watch them tortured."_

She then went over to his sister, taking out her daggers. Wesley screamed at her with rage, cursing her to every hell he could imagine, pleading not to touch his sister. She looked back, moaning in ecstasy as her devious desires were filling up.

" _YES! Keep screaming and wailing, little boy, it pleases me so!"_

With that, she began cutting his sister along the arms and legs, to which she screamed in agony. Wesley pulled against the bed so fervently, screaming himself as he watched his only living family become a torture toy for this psychopath.

After a few minutes, she finished up, leaving his sister to shiver and sob as the cuts all around her body bled so profusely.

The psychopath turned back around, now shivering in anticipation as she rushed over and held Wesley by the shoulders, undressing herself and the boy.

" _Oh, how I can't stand it anymore! Fill my desires, you sheep!"_

And so, this continued for 3 months, with Wesley watching his sister tortured by the psychopath, then being raped by her as her disgustingly horrifying desires were quenched temporarily. In between intervals, she fed them the minimum amount, leaving them weaker than they had ever been before.

Finally, one day, Wesley woke up from his short slumber to see that the psychopath had taken her leave, leaving him and his sister to die in the cabin. Over the course of the 3 months, Wesley's pulling against the bindings had eventually weakened the rope to the point where even a half-starved child could break it, and it was done. He crawled over to his sister, who was a mutilated mess. He picked her up, horrified by her state, and began sobbing over her, repeatedly apologizing for not being able to do anything. She opened her eyes and looked over at him, half-dead, and raised her crippled arm, laying it by his cheek. He opened his eyes, looking at her through his flowing tears.

"It's….okay, Wesley." She said, smiling through the unbearable pain she was going through. "I...forgive...you. Now, please….kill me…."

Wesley, who was not oblivious to her torment, looked around, seeing the pillow on the bed. He remembered a story in the village about a husband who put his wife to death by smothering her with a pillow after they found out she was dying from a grueling disease. The pain was said to be minimal.

Wesley stood up, shakily, walking over to the pillow and picking it up. He stared at it for a few moments, crying over it as he prepared himself. His mental state of mind now slipping, he forced his legs back over to his Ivy, falling to his knees in front of her. He looked at her one more time, to which she gazed at him, keeping up the painful smile.

"Please...Wesley….kill me."

With a scream of absolute sorrow, he forced the pillow down onto her face, holding it against her as he cried incessantly, feeling her begin to struggle as she lost air to her lungs. For a couple heart-wrenching moments, Wesley sobbed and screamed in utter agony as he felt the last sliver of his sister's life fading away. Finally, she stopped struggling.

Wesley lifted up the pillow to see her cold, lifeless body, her unmoving face. In the end, she was not smiling. Her mouth lay open as her muscles slacked, her dead eyes focused on Wesley.

His mental state was slipping, he could feel his own mind slowly breaking apart. He sprinted out of the cabin, busting the door open, running away to somewhere, anywhere but here.

* * *

After a few days, Wesley came upon the peaceful village of Northham. He fell in front of the gate, to which guards rushed over, helping him to the medical ward in the town. The cleric there declared that he was suffering from hunger, and so force fed him some food over the course of a week.

Eventually, Wesley woke up in the ward, looking around the ward in confusion, a groggy feeling overcoming him. The cleric asked him some questions regarding where he came from, and he said he could not remember anything except that his village was attacked by some monster.

Wesley's past was so horribly devious that his mind wiped his memory of the occurrence. As he grew up, the three months of sexual abuse and torment took their toll on him, and he took on a sociopathic trait, using whatever personality he could to please the people around him, and, occasionally, he reflected his sexual abuse onto other people, inappropriately touching and such. He learned to somewhat control these crude tendencies, but there were still rare bouts where he couldn't contain it.

At the age of 12, Wesley found an interest in trade, and so set on the path of becoming a great trader, reading books on the topic, researching into profitable trades at certain times, manipulating people to suit his needs for his expanding influence. By the age of 17, he had managed to establish a trade network over all of Brimmen, from fishing ports to farming villages, from military groups to the most pacified bands of travelers. His wealth grew at an extraordinary rate, and soon he had enough to buy himself an entire country. However, he knew that if he revealed his true amount of wealth to people, and if he kept it in one place, there would surely be individuals striving to kill him for such riches, and so, he set to spreading his wealth throughout banks, treasuries, and other sources, so that anywhere he traveled within Brimmen, he was sure to be able to access some form of wealth at any time, in any place, anywhere.

Wesley was on a mission to establish the biggest trade empire the world had ever seen, to spread his network from the cutthroat cities to the wildest wildlands. Though unaware to the torment, suffering, and abhorrent past that followed him, he was set to accomplish this dream by any means necessary.

And so the story of Wesley the Trader began.

* * *

After hearing the story, Sayori felt inspired by his dream and his drive to accomplish it. She had only heard his story about the burning village and his aspiring goal, as he couldn't remember the unfathomable horrors of those three months. With that, she looked around the village once more, then grabbed Wesley by the hand, to which he was knocked out of his trance in surprise. Sayori smiled at him.

"Come on, Wesley, let's get out of this depressing place and go establish your empire." She said, raising her fist to the heavens. Wesley grinned at her.

"Let's do it."

And so, the two walked back towards Northham, Wesley leaving his dreadful past with the abandoned village.


	9. Chapter 9: Recovery & The Past (Part 2)

**Suggestion** \- While reading these chapters, put on ambience music that will help simulate the environment in the story. Such recommended channels are the 'Guild of Ambience', 'Sword Coast Soundscapes', 'Pandora Journey', and 'The Spirit of Orchestral Music'.

You may not realize it, but using such background ambience enhances your reading of the story over 10 times more.

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Recovery & The Past (Part 2)**

Two days later, after the incident with Yuri, both of them were now patched up, but still sore, and so no busy work could be done. With this, the two decided to chill inside the cabin. As Yuri sprawled lazily over her chair, she sighed, having had nothing to do for the past two days except gaze out at the field and sleep. Next to her, about 5 feet away in his own chair was Wolfe, who was studiously reading a book about, you guessed it, _farming_. She groaned, hoping Wolfe would notice and inquire as to what was bothering her. He kept flipping the pages of his book and reading. She groaned again, to which he didn't respond. Finally, she grew tired already of this ridiculous game and asked him.

"Wolfe, is there anything we can do today?"

Wolfe looked up from his book at her, chewing his bottom lip in whilst pondering the question.

"Well...I do need to check up on the neighboring farming villages."

"Great, then let's go do that. I'm gonna die from boredom if we have to sit here any longer."

Wolfe sighed, closing the book and getting up from his seat. "Very well." He stated. "Get your stuff ready, and we'll get movin'."

* * *

As the two were walking to the first farming village for visitation, Westmeadow, Wolfe explained to Yuri about the necessity of keeping in frequent contact and trade with their neighboring farmers, as it would allow for a bundle of opportunities to be had, from sharing newfound ways of irrigation, to responding to alerts of bandit raids, etc.

After 3 hours or so, they arrived at the village, and the first thing Yuri saw there that surprised her was the formation of farmers, swords in their hands, following a pattern of thrusts, swings, and stabs, as well as blocking. They were led by one individual, who was yelling each command for executing a move. Yuri tapped Wolfe on the shoulder and asked him what that was.

"That's a special training regime that I've asked to be instilled in each farming village I could find in this country, and it's currently being implemented by some recent ones i've found." He stated, about to go on a tangent of explanation. "Although every peasant in the country is required to be trained to a certain extent in combat, in case they need to be called to arms by our king for war, their training is more effective when in numbers rather than individuals themselves, and so bandit raids can still wipe out villages as the villagers are not given effective training for defending against such attacks. With this idea in mind, I trained some individuals of each farming community on some specialized methods of fighting as well as how to pass this information on to the rest of the villagers. This way, the villagers will be more equipped when it comes to sudden ambushes by bandits."

Yuri's eyes widened in surprise at the response.

"That sounds amazing! How did you come up with that?" She asked. To her surprise, he averted his gaze from her, looking once more at the village, his eyes filling with wist as he remembered something about his past.

"It was….simple thinking, Yuri." He said with hesitation. She felt he was hiding something, but decided not to press him further on the matter.

Once Wolfe was finished checking up on this village, they then went to visit the next one, Caister. The entire way there, Wolfe began to become aloof, as if he was lost in thought, or remembering something about his past. Once they arrived, a beautiful, smiling woman in a green gown approached them, her hands clasped together and held downwards in a polite manner.

"Welcome once again, Wolfe." She said warmly towards him.

"Hey." Wolfe responded rather quietly, his eyes averted downwards. The girl, upon seeing this, dropped her smile for a moment, before quickly putting it back on when seeing Yuri.

"May I ask what your name is, miss?" The girl said, holding her hand out to be shaken.

"It's...Yuri. Nice to meet you." Yuri responded shyly, clasping her hand for the handshake. They then released their hands, placing them back at their original positions.

"Well, it's great to see you again, Wolfe, and it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Yuri. My name is Lilli, and we're glad you two came as expected, so please come with me so I can get you two a bite to eat and a place to rest."

With that, she escorted them around the town, to which several people, upon seeing Wolfe's face, beamed at him and waved, calling out his name in joy. He forced himself to smile, waving his hand back at them, before returning to his originally withdrawn state. Yuri was concerned by this behavior, but decided not to pry into his behavior too much.

They came upon a sizable house, to which Lilli then opened the door for them to walk in, closing it behind her as they entered. Inside, there was a dining table occupied with steaming hot fruits, vegetables and meat, waiting to be eaten. Yuri's mouth salivated at the thought of eating, and so the two sat down, eating, Lilli sitting on a chair opposite of them, smiling whilst watching them down the feast laid before them. Yuri, who was ravaging the food, noticed Wolfe was barely eating anything, only leading to more concern for the young boy. Lilli, also noticing this, once again dropped her smile, but quickly put it back again when she saw Yuri looking over at her.

Once the two had finished, a man made his way into the room, shaking hands with Yuri and introducing himself to her as the Village Head, the guy who ran the community and made important decisions. He looked to be around 50-60 years old, making her assume he was picked for his wiseness. He went to go talk to Wolfe, seemingly about some matters regarding the village, to which Wolfe responded rather quietly and withdrawn. After 10 minutes or so, the man got up, heading back out the door with the information Wolfe had given him.

Now that the meal was finished, Lilli showed the two to their room, to which they then settled down, dropping their equipment and provisions on the floor. Seeing as it was late at night, the two decided to head off to bed. Yuri got under her covers, quickly falling asleep, her curiosity over Wolfe's recent behavior somewhat aroused now.

* * *

Yuri was suddenly woken up by an especially loud creaking of the floorboards. She looked over to see Wolfe exiting the room and walking downstairs. Curious as to his plans, she followed him silently and, when she got to the bottom of the stairs, saw him walk outside, fully clothed, lantern in one hand, dagger in the other. She walked up to the window, seeing him now walking down the road of the village.

"Surprised by his behavior?"

Yuri jumped in slight fright, looking over to see Lilli in her nightgown, standing there, looking longingly out a second window at Wolfe.

"Y-yeah, now that you mention it…"

"He wasn't always like this, you know. At least, when he was in the village."

Yuri tilted her head in confusion.

"Are you saying he used to live here?"

Lilli looked over at her, a forlorn look on her face. "Yes." She responded rather quietly. "He was quite a lively and charismatic person at one point. But one day, a bandit raid had hit the village…"

* * *

3 years ago, in the village of Caister, a little boy at the age of 13 appeared at the village. Lilli, age 13 at the time, ran up to the crowd of villagers that had gathered around this boy. She saw a starving child who looked at them with fear and suspicion, holding a primitive knife with a shaky hand. Lilli walked slowly towards him, to which he flashed his knife towards her. She put her hands up in a peaceful gesture, the other villagers backing away whilst warning her to stay back. She ignored them, and began speaking to the boy.

"Hey there, buddy. I'm not here to hurt you. My name's Lilli. What's yours?"

The little boy seemed to relax slightly at her gesture, lowering the knife slightly as the last reserves of his strength held onto it. She noticed this and beckoned to him. "Wolfe." He muttered

"If you hand over that knife, we'll give you something to eat. How does that sound? I just simply want to make sure you don't hurt anybody unintentionally." She coaxed.

At the word 'food', the boy dropped his knife, crumpling to the ground as his strength gave in, falling unconscious out of exhaustion. Lilli ran forward and cradled him in her lap, hauling him up to take him to the dining hall.

After a couple hours of clearing up the situation with the Village Head, getting permission to feed the boy and getting to know him, the two had become close friends. He refused to talk about his past, but he did reveal that he had been wandering around in the wilderness for weeks, scrounging up whatever food he could whilst trying to survive. Lilli exchanged her story on how she grew up in this village and grew crops for the village to eat. Wolfe was intrigued on the subject, broaching her constantly on details regarding farming. She told him as much as she could, and before they knew it, the sun rose over the horizon, casting its warm light upon the fertile and green land.

Over the course of the year, Wolfe farmed for the village, and excelled at it above all the other farmers, being able to plant, water, fertilize and harvest the crops at phenomenal rates. He also found newer and more productive methods for farming, which led to an increased output of harvested crops and food available for the village, as well as increasing the wealth of it as they could export more specialized crops in their area to neighboring towns and villages. On top of that, Lilli and Wolfe's bond grew as they went on short adventures, farmed, ate, laughed, and cried together.

By the end of that year, near winter, the farming village had improved in nearly every facet. All the fields were harvested and stored for the incoming winter. As dusk fell, the villagers began regressing to their respective homes, satisfied with their haul of work.

Lilli & Wolfe sat on a hill about 50 meters from the village, watching the sunset dip under the horizon. Wolfe peeked a glance over at Lilli, who was smiling contentedly as she gazed upon the beautiful sight. She noticed him looking at her and smiled at him, causing his heart to pump rapidly. They gazed into each others eyes, Wolfe looking at the girl's sparkling hazelnut eyes and her flowing blonde hair. They leaned in slowly towards each other-

 _ **WHIZZ-THUMP!**_

Wolfe watched in shock as an arrow slammed into Lilli's shoulder, propelling her backwards from the impact.

" **LILLI!** " He screamed, scrambling over to where she fell. Behind him, he heard the collective yelling of raiders as they began to lay waste to the village, shooting arrows at villagers and slaughtering them as they got close. Some of them threw torches onto the houses, leaving them to ignite and blaze wildly. Night flushed the landscape, leaving only the torches being waved by the raiders as the sources of light on the outside of the village.

Meanwhile, Wolfe looked at Lilli, who was screaming in pain from the bolt that had hit her in the shoulder. He held her whilst reciting instructions.

"Lilli, listen, i'm going to break off the shaft and pull out the other end, so that way it doesn't bleed you out, okay?!" He said in a panicked tone. She wasn't paying attention, only screaming from the agonizing pain of the wound that had afflicted her so suddenly. Wolfe decided there wasn't enough time to get her attention, and so decided to go ahead and break the shaft, to which Lilli screamed even louder from the bolt moving around in her body. He then picked her up with struggle and pulled out the sharp end. He threw away the broken shaft and arrowhead, ripping off his shirt to tightly bind around her wound so as to help clot the blood.

"Lilli!" He shouted at her, trying not to get drowned out by the screaming, blazing fire, and clash of swords in the village below. "I need you to keep your hands pressed against this cloth tightly, so that way your wound will stop bleeding. Can you do that for me?"

Lilli, who subsided from screaming to wailing, heard him and nodded through her tears.

"Good. Now please, find somewhere to hide!"

He ran off towards the village, wishing he had a knife he could use for battle. He managed to evade a couple swings of the blade from bandits, and pressed on to the armory. However, he was too late, as it was taken over by a couple bandits who were looting it, along with every other part of town. He cursed, but found a dead villager with a sword in his hand, and went to pick it up. However, he was kicked to the side by one distinguished bandit, who was grinning madly, as if the whole spectacle of suffering amused him so.

"What 'ave we got here?" He asked rhetorically. "A little boy who thinks he can square up against a whole battalion of cutthroats, eh?" He chortled, a rough sounding laugh that mirrored that of a pirate captain's. He turned around, point his finger upwards and swirling it around as a gesture to the rest of the bandits. "Round up any survivors you can find, lads! We're gonna make sure no one's escape from this place to spread the news. We still got plenty more villages to ransack, after all!"

After an hour or so, the remaining villagers, along with Wolfe, were roughly brought to an open patch of grass overlooking the burning village, dozens of bandits haphazardly surrounding the group, sneering down at them with contempt. In the distance, Wolfe could see Lilli being dragged down the hill by one of the bandits, screaming in pain and fear.

Wolfe tried his hardest to contain his urge to run after Lilli, as he was sure that it would only single her out if he did so. Once the bandit threw her in with the rest of the group, the bandit leader began to speak.

"Right then, ya codpiece scites. Name's Brenner, and i'm tha leada of this 'ere group. So let me tell ya what's gonna happen." He spoke with a mangy accent, effectively butchering the English language. "We're gonna take yer sh*t, kill ya all so that none of yas run off ta go alert tha otha villages, an' then we're gonna go ransack those same f**kin' villages. Now, if ya tell us where yer keepin' yer stashed loot, we'll give ya quick deaths. Othawise, we can make it nice an' slow and go afta yer kids and elderly ta make ya suffa. What say ya?" Once having finished the summary, he grinned maliciously, looking around at them, avarice gleaming in his beady eyes.

None of the villagers spoke.

"None of yas wants ta show me the hidden pile? Cus I knows that ya have it, every village does."

Still no one spoke.

"No one still? O'right then, looks like we're gonna have ta do it tha hard way." He finished his statement and picked up Lilli, who yelped in fright. He then brought his face close to hers, licking it slowly in front of them. The Village Head, who saw Lilli as his surrogate daughter, yelled in anger and tried to run towards Brenner, but was interrupted with a smack across the face with the end of a bandit's mace handle.

"Rhett!" Lilli screamed in despair, pulling against the bandit leader, who held her in place, laughing cruelly at the scene.

" _Enough of this worthless banter._ "

Every villager and bandit turned their heads towards Wolfe, who was now standing up, looking Brenner in the eye. Brenner grinned.

"Oh? What's this we got 'ere? A brave lad?" He inquired sarcastically. Wolfe stared at him, ominous tidings brewing behind his eyes.

"I'm becoming rather tired of this petty squabble. So tell you what, _Brenner_ , i'll offer you a deal that will solve all your problems at once. Care to hear me out before you make your decision on slaughtering this sorry lot?"

With that sentence, he got a lot of confused looks from the villagers, especially Lilli. Brenner, on the other hand, grinned even wider.

"I'm all ears, ya smart-mouthed little boy. Make it good."  
Wolfe took a breath and began his statement.

"I'm sure the reason why you're raiding _farming_ villages of all places is because you're looking to make sure you have enough food for the winter, correct?"

Brenner nodded his head, amused by this kid's astute observation. Wolfe then pointed to the granary, which was burning down as they spoke.

" _That_ was where we stored all of our food for the winter. Your plan to stockpile said food was now wasted on this town."

At this, Brenner's grin slowly faded, the earlier glint of greed in his eyes now being replaced with frustration and anger as he bared his teeth in a frown. He clenched his free hand tighter, which was holding Lilli's hair, causing her to whimper in pain.

"Now all ya've done is piss me off. So what's gonna convince me not ta kill ya now?"

Wolfe slowly waded his hand through the air, gesturing to all the captured villagers.

"So why not use these people, myself included, to grow enough to last you through the winter? On top of that, you can occupy this village. It's got nice beds, clean homes, and some _very_ warm covers, better than any other village you'll find in this entire area."

He stopped, seeing Brenner consider the idea.

"Why would I waste ta effort on waiting 'ere when I could just go an' ransack the other villages?"

"Well, if you weren't aware, on top of the other villages barely bringing in a haul from their crops, these sods were the only ones to bring in an abundant set. I mean, if you had kept our granary from burning to the ground, you would have seen the piles upon piles of harvested crops these scites had somehow managed to pull off."

He once more saw Brenner about to accept the idea, and so pulled out his trump card.

"On top of _that_ , i'm the best damn farmer you'll ever find."

At this, he noticed Brenner take a look at Wolfe in slight interest.

"What makes ya make that claim?"

"Ask any of these maggots here, they'll fess up that _I_ was the one who brought in the biggest haul over this past year."

Brenner looked over at one of the villagers. "Is that true?" The villager begrudgingly nodded, angered by Wolfe's throwing of slurs at the villagers. At this, Brenner looked back at the boy, newfound interest in his eyes.

"Right then, I guess we'll bunker down 'ere for the long winter-"

"Hold on." Wolfe interrupted the bandit leader. "You have to agree to let us live if we bring in enough to satisfy you and your gang."

Brenner laughed crudely at this. "Now why tha f**k would I do that?!"

Wolfe kept his unwavering gaze on him. "Think about it. If we're told we're gonna be killed regardless of how hard we work, then we'll have no motivation factor. Sure, you could use pain and torture, but the most effective method of driving people is the hope that they will _gain_ something out of it."

Brenner once more considered the idea. "Ya know what? Fine. We'll leave ya scites alone after the winter, but you'll die without food even if we don't kill ya ourselves."

"Still better than imminent death."

"So be it."

Before Brenner let them go, however, he grinned as a devious idea popped into his mind.

"Oy, ya smart-ass, what's this girl mean ta ya?" He said, pulling her hair towards him to show what he was referring to. She yelped in pain from the sudden action. Wolfe, seeing this, waved his hand dismissively.

"Her? I couldn't give two sh*ts what happens to her." He stated.

Lilli felt her throat close up as she felt betrayed by his words. "Wolfe, why are you saying this-"

" _Don't f*cking talk to me like you know me, wench._ " Wolfe pointed his finger accusingly at Lilli, who began crying from the cruel words being flung at her. "For the past year, I've had to deal with this insufferable village, so happy and peaceful and _boring_. Nothing exciting or entertaining ever happens here, and you were the center of all that scite."

The villagers turned their heads towards Wolfe in rage, taken aback by the sudden change in personality from him. The village head. Out of all of them, was the most pissed.

"Don't call Lilli a wench, you disgusting lout!"

Brenner's cold laughter pierced the air.  
"Wonderful!" He boomed, releasing Lilli's hair and clapping. "What an interestin' little boy ya are! I hope ya come ta entertain me like this for this coming month….Wolfe, was it? Now, for tha rest of yas, get ya arses movin' and get ta farmin'!"

* * *

For the following month, it was hell for the villagers. They toiled hard, being brutally beaten if they seemed to not be working hard enough at it, some of them even dying from exhaustion as they were pushed so hard. As for the women, bandits chose the maidens they wanted to pilfer with their sick desires, some of them even going for children. Meanwhile, Wolfe worked the hardest, plowing fields, sowing seeds, fertilizing and watering the crops unrelentingly, impressing even the most ignorant of bandits with his quick handiwork.

At the same time, Wolfe came upon several situations in which Brenner practiced his sick game to him, presenting him with two or three options on a matter, such as one point in the month, where he had to choose between who to punish based on productivity, which woman was the best for being raped, and even who to have killed for stepping too out of line. There were also points in which Brenner forced Wolfe to watch him molest and brutalize Lilli several times over the course of the month. Throughout all of this, Wolfe showed no remorse, making his decisions and watching the scenes in which Brenner committed his atrocities. He was truly a cruel and sadistic man, who took pleasure in seeing the suffering of others. Lilli, on the other hand, only felt more and more betrayed by the sudden personality change of Wolfe, screaming insults and slurs at the boy she thought she knew with every new meeting as tears came streaming down her face.

" _You pig!"_

" _You sick f*ck!"_

" _You monster!"_

" _You brutal beast!"_

Finally, it was the end of fall, and winter hit the farm in a torrent, a blizzard beginning to befall the area, getting ready to blanket the landscape in white fluff. The bandits, having gotten the crops to feast upon, decided to celebrate with a party, getting themselves very drunk in the process.

A good portion of the bandits stood outside whilst drinking as the snow set in so as to get a good look at the beautiful night sky, which was about to be covered with the torrent of snow. They spread out amongst the village, kicking by any villagers that happened to get in their way. As for the villagers themselves, having worked so hard, they were barely given any sustenance at this time, and so half-starved whilst losing their strength. They huddled against whatever buildings they could and tried to provide themselves with any form of warmth, shivering violently as the cold began to set in.

A group of three drunken bandits idled near the front of the village, singing some shanty tunes whilst sloshing their half-filled mugs around in drunken jubilance. One bandit began speaking, his speech severely impaired thanks to his intoxicated state.

"Ya know, guyz, I em so heppy *hiccup* thet we decided ta' stey here fer thu winter. Not onley ded we *hiccup* get a sh*ttun uf food as a result, but we gaht sooo much ass as well! Hehehehahahha!"

The three laughed in response to his slurred declaration, once more raising their mugs to gulp down some more of the ale.

"Randall, what's wrong, buddeh? Ya look a little pale…"

The first bandit said this as the two looked over to see the third bandit's face go white. They then heard him choking as blood began to bubble over his mouth. He then fell backwards into the snow, his blood staining the pure white fluff. The other two, being so severely drunk, were unable to comprehend what was wrong with him.

"Randall? What are ya-"

"What the-AAAAHH!"

The second bandit looked over to see his other friend, yelling in shock as a figure pushed him downwards into the snow, bringing his knife up to stab the bandit repeatedly in the chest, blood spewing out from each wound. The bandit being stabbed then began screaming as the pain registered into his brain. After a couple more moments of being stabbed so incessantly, he began to choke as his lungs filled with his own blood, eventually broiling up and out of his mouth. The last surviving bandit gazed in horror at the rising figure, which turned its predatorial eyes towards him, his knife dripping with blood, staining the snow below.

"Hold on, whadda ya think yer doin'?! Hey, stop-!"

The last bandit then screamed in horror as the silhouette jumped onto him, bringing his knife into the man's eye, to which the bandit wailed in agony. He turned the knife around in the eye, turning it into mush. From there, he went to stabbing the flailing bandit in the chest. After a few moments, he got up, his whole attire now completely splattered with the red fluid. His eyes darted to vague shouting coming from further in the village, as a group of drunken bandits was harassing a gathering of villagers.

"Thanks fer workin' so hard, ya worthless maggots! Now we can feast upon yer hard work whilst ya starve in the snow-"

The speaking bandit didn't have a chance to finish his sentence as he felt his leg stabbed, to which he screamed in pain and fell backwards, being stabbed repeatedly by the rampaging little figure. The two others that were celebrating alongside him gazed at the scene in terror, and took out their weapons to swing at the figure, who dodged the swings with ease, moving in to one bandit and slicing a deep cut across his belly. The bandit fell to his knees as he was disemboweled, his guts spilling out from the slice. The other bandit vomited from seeing the gruesome sight, which enabled the deadly figure to move in, stabbing him in the thigh to bring him down, then slitting his throat before thrusting him into the snow, in which he died shortly.

The disemboweled bandit, who was hovering his shaking hands over his spilled organs, looked up at the figure, a hint of recognition in his eyes before the figure thrusted his knife into the bandit's throat and swiftly pulling it out, leaving the bandit to grasp at his neck. The villagers saw the figure, looking on in absolute shock as they recognized him. And yet, he moved on before they could get a chance to speak to him.

This went on, with the hidden figure moving about the village, slaughtering the groups of bandits, finally happening upon the house that Brenner occupied, Lilli's house. Axe in his hands, he swung at the handle, breaking the lock and kicking open the door. Inside, over half a dozen bandits were celebrating in the warmth of the house. They looked on in surprise at the bloodied figure standing menacingly by the entrance. Being drunk, it took them some time to register the threat, giving the figure ample time to come swinging at the nearest target. The unlucky bandit saw the swing of the axe, and his head split in two as it slammed into his skull, blood spewing out at a phenomenal rate. The bandit crumpled to the floor, his blood staining the floorboards and carpet. The other bandits were spurred to action by this horrid action, unsheathing their weapons.

They went to swing at the figure, who dropped the axe and began using hand-to-hand combat, grabbing the arm of one bandit who finished his swing and pushing hard on his elbow, effectively breaking it. The bandit screamed in pain, clenching it with one arm, but the figure had already moved to the next bandit, kicking at his straightened leg, breaking the joint, causing that bandit to then fall to the floor in pain. He moved to pick up the mace the bandit had dropped, ducking as he saw an incoming swing of a sword from one bandit, then swung his mace into the side of the bandit, breaking his ribcage. He then brought his mace into a 180 swing, obliterating the leg of the bandit that was charging in to stab the figure. He crumpled to the floor, and the deadly shadow turned his attention to the last uninjured bandit, who shivered as he had seen the capability of the deadly force. He was given no time to plead for his life as the figure plunged the head of the mace into the man's stomach, causing him to keel over, to which the figure then brought down the mace onto the man's back, breaking his spine.

The man screamed in pain, flailing on the floor as he became paralyzed. He was put out of his misery when the figure brought the mace upwards, then downwards, smashing open the head of the bandit like a busted watermelon. Blood splattered everywhere, even a splotch hitting the face of one incapacitated bandit, who shrieked in horror as he saw the terrifying spectacle. The figure then finished off everyone else, taking up various weapons and killing off each remaining bandit. Once the bandits were dead, the whole living room being stained with their dark-red liquid, covering the figure from head to toe, the figure picked up the axe once again, moving up the stairs whilst dragging the heavy object up with him. He arrived at the second floor, hearing screams of despair and laughing from inside the room. He brought his axe with two hands and swung it at the door frame, smashing into the wood, causing two voices to yelp on the other side. He swung a few more times, then kicked open the door.

Inside, he saw Brenner, naked, trying to rape Lilli, who was also stripped of her clothing and crying fervently. They both looked up in shock to see Wolfe, drenched in the thick blood of Brenner's subordinates, an equally bloodied axe in his hand, a psychotic look consisting of madness and rage in his eyes. Brenner went to instinctively reach for the dagger on his belt, but realized it was laying on the nearby dresser, and went to grab for it.

Wolfe, however, predicted this action, and dashed forward, swinging the axe down and cutting off Brenner's hand. Brenner screaming in pain as he saw his hand thump to the floor, still twitching slightly as a nerve reaction. He looked to the open doorway, and was about to jump up to escape when he felt Wolfe grip his leg, holding it down as he raised his axe with one hand. Brenner looked at him, horror in his eyes.

"No! Don't do it-"

Wolfe brought the axe down, cutting off the foreleg of Brenner, who screamed once more in agonizing pain. Wolfe then went and cut off his other foreleg, to which Brenner flailed about in the bed, tears of excruciating pain flowing down his face. Wolfe grabbed Brenner by the amputated leg, dragging him off the bed, down the stairs and outside the house. He dragged Brenner by, as Brenner gazed in shock at the dreadful sights of his butchered comrades, whom were all mutilated, disemboweled, dismembered or eviscerated. Blood stained almost every part of the snow trail that Wolfe was dragging the helpless bandit leader on. Eventually, Wolfe arrived upon a trench filled with the corpses of some of the bandits, and swung Brenner into the ditch. Upon landing on the rotting corpses, Brenner shrieked in disgust and horror, vomiting onto himself as the smell and sight overwhelmed him. He looked up, fear in his eyes, at Wolfe, who stood over him, a somber grimace nearly overshadowed by his unwavering eye contact, his pupils massively dilated as killing had greatly unsettled his mental state. He took out a gutting knife.

Although Brenner was in unfathomable pain, he was massively unsettled by the sight of the knife.

"W-Why do y-you have that?! I thought y-you guys w-were farmers!"

Wolfe cackled maliciously.

" _Didn't you know? We don't always rely upon our crops. Sometimes we need to hunt for our food…"_

He jumped down into the ditch, grabbing Brenner by his throat.

"... _And, of course, we always_ _ **gut**_ _our prey."_

Brenner shrieked in absolute trepidation as Wolfe thrusted the knife into his stomach, gutting him slowly.

After a few minutes, the bandit leader died from shock, his mind having taken in too much pain from the encounter.

Wolfe climbed out of the ditch, seeing Lilli, who was now dressed, staring at him in fright, tears streaming down her face in confusion of the event. Behind her, the other villagers had gathered, looking around at the massacre Wolfe had committed.

Lilli gazed upon Wolfe, a short, 13 year old boy drenched in blood, his hands violently shaking from the atrocities he had just committed, his eyes dangerously quivering, his pupils dilated as a result of his slipping mental grip on reality.

After a moment or two, Wolfe's eyes began welling up with tears, his mouth quivering as he began sobbing loudly, wailing for all that he'd done. He fell to his knees, the knife dropping out of his hand. He let out all of the pent-up anger and sadness that had gathered up over the last month. The other villagers began crying as well, out of sorrow and grief for the torture they had endured, the deaths of their friends and family, and out of relief for having escaped that hell.

Lilli felt as tears came streaming down her face for the same reasons. Luckily for her, the Village Head, whom she considered her surrogate father, had barely survived, and would have surely died the next day if the bandits' occupation had continued. And yet, she still felt anger rise up as she looked on at Wolfe. She stepped forward.

"Wolfe…why did you act like that in the first place? Why did you act like you didn't care about us?! What reason was there for being that way?!"

Wolfe, who was still wailing from the occasion, could not respond over the broiling mixture of emotions that was wracking his body. He heard footsteps and felt something hit his face, causing him to fall over sideways in the snow. Lilli stood over him, tears streaming down her glaring eyes and clenched teeth.

"ANSWER, WOLFE! WHY DID YOU TREAT US THAT WAY?!" She shouted at him. He opened his eyes half-way, shivering in the snow, and struggled to get an answer out of his mouth.

"It….it was the….only way to…...gain the chance….at freeing you….and the others…"

Lilli's mouth quivered in anger.

"I still don't understand!"

Wolfe struggled once again, trying to voice his reason.

"If…..if they had known….I was friendly with you and….the others….their leader….would not have….trusted me….at all….I had to play his sick games….just to gain his trust…...He fed me….so I could…..gather strength…..to fight back..."

He looked up at Lilli, blood and tears dripping off of his coated face.

"…I treated you that way…..because I wanted to make him….believe…that I didn't….care for you guys…So then…..he could give me….the opportunity…..to free you….."

Lilli's eyes widened in shock. She had never considered that. She felt guilt and regret build up inside her as she realized just how much Wolfe had to suffer through to gain the chance at freeing them. On top of that, had he not offered that alternative solution to them regarding the farming, they would have most certainly been killed off altogether.

Wolfe shakily got on his knees once again.

"Do you….know how hard….it was…..to make those….decisions...?"

Lilli felt a knot form in her throat, and began crying profusely. However, whether it was out of fear of Wolfe or disgust of his actions, or some other feeling, she didn't comfort him. She did not wrap her arms around him, telling him everything would be okay. Instead, he sat there, the freezing cold biting him all over, and she stood across from him, staring.

Eventually, he got up on his legs, shivering from the cold and from the recent events. He then trekked back up into the village, finding a house to take refuge in and closing the door behind him.

The blizzard continued, raining down cold, harsh snowflakes upon the landscape, covering the atrocities that were committed on this day.

* * *

Yuri's mouth was slightly agape, as she was disturbed by the whole recollection of the past, seeing that Lilli had tears streaming down her cheeks. She switched her gaze over at Yuri, a forlorn expression evident on her face.

"The day after that, he left, and we did not hear from him until a year ago, when he introduced the specialized training techniques to the villages en masse. When he came back, the villagers were overjoyed to see the boy who freed their village, but he was as withdrawn as he is now. This went on every time he's visited this village. I can't help but feel responsible for that behavior. Maybe, if I had simply given him forgiveness at such an important moment rather than treating him like that….."

She looked down in regret, closing her eyes as tears dropped to the floor.

Yuri stood there in discomfort from the scene, staring out the window to see Wolfe continuing his patrol. She yelped in surprise as she felt Lilli grab her hands, and she looked over to see Lilli, who was looking at her with such melancholy.

"Yuri, if you ever get a chance, please….tell Wolfe that I am sorry for how I treated him in those moments, how this whole village owes him for the rest of our lives, and the next generation's lives. Tell him that he's welcome back here anytime he wants, and we will never judge or criticize him for anything ever again."

Yuri hesitated, then nodded her head slowly.  
"Sure. I'll tell him."

Lilli smiled, wiping her tears away as she straightened herself up.

"Thank you, Yuri."

* * *

As morning arrived, Yuri and Wolfe prepared their luggage and set out on the road.

"Wolfe!"

Wolfe turned around slowly, seeing Lilli wave at him desperately, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry for everything! I'm sorry for treating you that way on that night! Please, forgive me!"

Wolfe managed a smile, his eyes welling up with tears itself.

"You don't ever need to worry about my forgiveness, Lilli. I never put you at fault on that night."

Lilli's eyes widened in shock, her hand dropping as she felt that knot that had stayed in her stomach fade away instantly, all of her guilt and regret dissipating. She fell to her knees, sobbing as the burden she had carried for so long finally disappeared.

With that, Wolfe turned around, continuing to head down with Yuri, down the dirt trail that led on back to their farm.

* * *

Monika and Rulf sat in front of the fireplace of the cabin, feeling the cozy warmth of the flame, giving them a bit of comfort as they sat, shivering from the cold outside. The lodge was not exactly the the most insulated place, and so wind breezes could somewhat make their way through, which somewhat defeated the purpose of being in the lodge in the first place. Rulf made a mental note to go to town and search for anything that could block out the freezing cold.

Monika looked over at Rulf with content in her eyes.

"So, Rulf….since I told you my past, maybe you wanna share something about yours? You know, something that could possibly be the reason you are the way you are today?"

Rulf looked over at Monika, sighing and turning his head back to the fire.

"Well, let's see here….when I was a boy, I was very poor…."

"Yeah?"

"...On top of that, I saw a noble who owned a lot of land…."

"Yeah?"

"...So I decided…."

"YEAH?"

"...That one day, I wanted to own a lot of land and money for myself."

Monika stared at him in disappointment, much to Rulf's irritation.

"What're you lookin' at me like that for?"

"What? Oh, uh, nothing…."

"No, go ahead and tell me."

"It's really nothing, Rulf…."

"Monika, _tell me_."

"Well, Rulf….to be honest, I thought your aspirations and dreams and...past...would be a bit more…..eh….. _inspiring_ than that?"

Rulf looked offended by her words.

"What's not inspiring about wanting land and money?"

"I guess, but…."

"Okay, well then, Miss Aspiring Dreams, what do you want?"

Monika looked over at Rulf, her eyes filling even more so with love than before.

"To marry you."

Rulf was taken aback by her words. Once again, she never failed to surprise him. He felt his face heat up as he thought about what she had wanted.

"Quack."

"What the f*ck is the duck doing in the lodge?!"

"What? He's cold, and he wants some warmth."

"Bloody Hekk, I don't want that stupid f*cking duck in my lodge, so get him out!"

" _Quack, quack_."

"The duck cursed at you."

"You can speak duck?"

"No."

"GET THE DUCK OUT OF THE LODGE, DAMN IT!"

And so, this section ends quite abruptly, with Rulf trying to kick the duck out of the lodge, the duck quacking back at him and flipping him off, and Monika watching the scene, laughing in delight.


	10. Chapter 10: Christmas Day

**Suggestion** \- While reading these chapters, put on ambience music that will help simulate the environment in the story. Such recommended channels are the 'Guild of Ambience', 'Sword Coast Soundscapes', 'Pandora Journey', and 'The Spirit of Orchestral Music'.

You may not realize it, but using such background ambience enhances your reading of the story over 10 times more.

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Christmas Day**

Two weeks before Christmas Day, Monika had went through the pains of explaining the concept of Christmas to the whole group, making sure to emphasize the importance of gifts and Christmas spirit. Each person had gone out, getting one another gifts they thought would be appropriate.

On Christmas Eve, the 8 MC's were out celebrating the holiday (that only they were celebrating) in the Fried Chicken, getting wildly drunk like the bunch of responsible teenagers they were.

Now, on Christmas Day, the 8 individuals gathered in Wesley's household, seeing as it had the biggest living room out of all of them. A pine tree with decorative lights was standing on the side, having been painfully put together on instructions of Monika, carried out by Malin and Rulf. The decorations around the house were paid for by Wesley and Wolfe. The other girls had helped them set up the decorations. By the end of it, the whole place was looking quite jolly, and even attracted the attention of villagers walking around to gaze upon the outside decorations.

Inside, the eight individuals now passed around their respective gifts, waiting for the others to open up.

Sayori opened up her present, opening the box to see a plushie horse, filled with cotton and stitched together with refined leather. It was an extremely expensive present to put together, what with each of the ingredients required for it being hard to find and valued at high prices. Of course, Wesley saw it as worth when Sayori squealed in absolute delight, jumping at Wesley and hugging him profusely. He grinned as she hugged him tightly. To Wesley, from Sayori, is a rolled-up parchment detailing how to make ground coffee. A couple days ago, Sayori had accidentally crushed a bag of coffee beans taken out from a coffee bean shipment. Originally, the coffee beans were used as a candle scenter, but when Sayori decided to experiment with the coffee beans by swirling them in water, drinking it to discover it tasted magnificently. She even prepared cups of coffee beforehand, passing them around the circle so people could try them.

Wesley was quite astounded with this random discovery, but felt that this recipe would serve well to make a profit. He smiled over at his trade partner, happy that he was in her life with yet another reason to add to his giant pile.

Moving on, Malin's present to Natsuki was absolutely f*cking insane. She opened up the heavy present, revealing a giant, obsidian egg. Natsuki was perplexed by the gift, looking at it in confusion. Wesley, on the other hand, felt his jaw drop in absolute shock at the sight.

"Who gave her this?!"

Malin flashed that godawful smile, jerking a thumb towards his chest.

"I did."

"THAT'S A F*CKING DRAGON EGG, MALIN. HOW THE F*CK DID YOU FIND SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!"

Malin was taken aback by the man's shouting.

"I found it whilst we were on that ogre mission."

Natsuki felt irritation at hearing about that mission. She, Malin and Annis (who, I forgot to mention, was also present at the Christmas gathering) had gone on a mission to defeat a giant ogre. She had no idea what it was, but took Malin's word that it was not that big of a threat.

It was. She remembered screaming in fear as the ogre chased the three around its swamp, which they stumbled upon. Eventually, Malin was able to kill it, but seeing as all of them almost died, she was quite pissed with him afterwards, throwing more curse words at him that day then she had ever done so since she had met him.

"I found it in a niche by a tree."

Wesley's face paled.

"Was there a giant dragon that chased after you when you abducted the egg?"

"Huh? No."

Wesley was absolutely confused at this point, as dragon eggs were known for being guarded by their mothers until their birth, but he decided not to question the subject anymore. Natsuki, however, was still confused.

"Dragon egg? What's a dragon?"

Wesley facepalmed.

"Well," Malin started. "It's a big, scaly creature that can fly and breathe fire. When that egg hatches, a baby dragon will come out."

Natsuki was still very confused with the whole gift, but she felt it was pretty special, and so thanked Malin quite formally, setting the egg aside, keeping her arm around it, as it was about half her height. From Natsuki, to Malin, a carved snowflake necklace was revealed from the box he had opened. He picked up the necklace, gazing upon it in amazement.

"Wow! What is this?"

"That's a snowflake, you dumbass!"

"Oh…."

"You wear it as a necklace. It's supposed to serve as a good-luck charm." She had heard about these good luck charms from one of the merchants she was buying from one day, and decided that if anyone needed this charm, it was Malin of all people.

"I think you're smart enough to know how to put it on, so-"

Natsuki suddenly yelped as she felt herself picked up from the ground, being twirled around by Malin, who was laughing giddily. Her cheeks flared up and she began demanding to be let down, beating on his arms, to no avail.

Continuing forward, From Wolfe, to Yuri, was a set of newly bought farming tools, as well as a good amount of history books regarding the history of Uropa, documentation on the magical creatures seen in the world, and several other useful pieces of literature. Yuri almost had a heart attack from joy, as Wolfe had noticed that Yuri was quite an avid reader, and so decided to suit her with such books. From Yuri, to Wolfe, he unwrapped an oil painting of a farmer looking over field of flowing wheat, glistening like gold in the setting sun. Wolfe, who was utterly impressed by the painting, broached Yuri on how she got ahold of something like this. She said that she had borrowed the tools necessary for creating a painting from a merchant in town, after some necessary persuasion was done (how do you think Yuri persuades people, if she's bad at socializing?). She had painted the picture on the second floor of the cabin, overlooking the scene whilst Wolfe was overlooking the fields. Needless to say, Wolfe knew this would hang in his room.

Finally, Monika opened up her present from Rulf. Inside, she found two things. One was a pair of fuzzy wool socks, the other being a single emerald, laced to serve as a necklace. Monika, cupping her hand over her mouth, raised the necklace, her eyes beginning to water. She looked up at Rulf, who was averting his gaze to the side. Wesley squinted his eyes at Rulf. He knew that emeralds were extremely expensive, and Rulf was most definitely not one of considerable wealth, so he was sure he had stolen it from some noble, but he didn't see any reason to ruin the moment, and so kept his mouth shut.

Monika, on the other hand, began crying as she gazed upon the bright green emerald.

"Listen, Monika, you need to make sure that you stuff that into your shirt, because that is _not_ something you want to show proudly. There are plenty of criminals and pickpockets who will snatch that away-"

"This is green, like my eyes…."

"Well, yeah, that's why I picked it out….but anyways, you need to understand the importance of what I said before-"

He grunted in surprise as he felt Monika tackled him, who was crying in absolute joy from the present, pressing her lips against his so fervently, to which his face blazed up in embarrassment, trying to push her off.  
"YES, RULF, I ACCEPT YOUR MARRIAGE PROPOSAL!" She shouted in jubilance, tears streaming down her face.

"Damn it, Monika, it's not a marriage proposal, it's a f*cking gift!"

Eventually, Monika let off, but she was still smiling widely, tears still flowing down her cheeks in utter happiness. She then pulled out a piece of paper, unfolding it.

"I got you a present as well, Rulf." She said, sniffling.

Everyone gathered together, with Rulf being at the front of the audience, as they could all see that she was about to recite a poem.

"It's called 'Our Reality', for you, by myself." Monika stated, smiling once at Rulf before singing.

 _Verse 1_

 _Everyday, I imagined a future where I could_

 _Be with you_

 _In my hands is a sheet with a poem_

 _All about me and you_

 _The ink spilled, made a dark little puddle,_

 _But it is fine- I don't need it_

 _Anymore!_

 _Because in this world, I have real choices,_

 _What will I do, since i've found this special day?_

 _What will I do, since i've found…..this special day?_

 _Verse 2_

 _Look, i've found everybody a fun activity to do today!_

 _When you're here, I don't need to go searching for fun things anyways_

 _I don't even need to read my own feelings_

 _I'm with you now, and my smile says it all_

 _And in this world, I don't want an ending_

 _I'm happy now, finally I have it all._

 _Verse 3_

 _Did my pen only write bitter words for those who were_

 _Dear to me?_

 _Even so, I don't need any pens now that I know you're with me._

 _The ink spilled, made a dark little puddle_

 _No need to write love into reality_

 _Now that I can hear the sound of your heartbeat,_

 _I know that it's love in our reality._

 _And in our reality, if I don't how to love you_

 _Will you love me?_

Rulf gazed into Monika's emerald eyes, feeling a flurry of emotions swirling inside him. He felt his own heart beating rapidly the longer he looked at Monika. He finally averted his eyes, clearing his throat. He looked over once more at Monika.

"Well, are you gonna give me the poem or what?"  
Monika smiled sweetly, handing over the poem, Rulf taking it and folding it up. He then quickly made his way out of the house, to everyone's surprise. Once he was out on the street, he reached into his overcoat pocket, taking out a rectangular locket, and fitted the folded piece of parchment into it, clasping it shut and wearing the locket around his neck, about to stuff it under all of his clothing, but taking one last look at the locket.

…

…

…

He saw a tear suddenly drop onto the locket, surprised by the sudden welling of tears in his eyes. He quickly wiped away the water gathering in his eyes, sniffling, and made his way back into the house.


	11. Chapter 11: The Awakening

**Suggestion** \- While reading these chapters, put on ambience music that will help simulate the environment in the story. Such recommended channels are the 'Guild of Ambience', 'Sword Coast Soundscapes', 'Pandora Journey', and 'The Spirit of Orchestral Music'.

You may not realize it, but using such background ambience enhances your reading of the story over 10 times more.

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter 11: The Awakening**

On the night of Christmas Day, the eight comrades in arms went out to the Fried Chicken to get a drink. As was the custom for most days of the week, the teenagers loved to abuse the use of alcohol, and were probably losing some brain cells in the process of drinking so much. But don't worry! Brain cells DO regenerate, something about neurons. Anyways, back to the story.

Malin slammed down his cup, shaking the table, in response to the drinking competition that had been initiated amongst the eight of them when their BAC levels had gotten past the point of rational thinking.

"AY WHEENNN (I win) ! HAHAHAHAH!" Malin shouted as his speech became severely impaired, and he raised his empty glass mug whilst laughing gutturally, his victory sounds occasionally interrupted by a hiccup or two. Everyone else was either shit-faced drunk or nearly passed out, unable to drink more.

Rulf slammed down his cup, peering over at Malin in drunken frustration, yelling and half-slamming down his cup in resignation, the mug being empty.

"Ah, ye betch. Ay wus gunna decler et ferst, yu ass!" He shouted, slurring his words quite a bit.

Meanwhile, Malin stood over the crowd triumphantly, flashing his signature confident smile and standing tall. Although it was dark at night, and the bar was not well-lit as of currently, he shone brightly, as if his own aura was aiding in shining light upon this dashing and built figure. The others gazed upon him in somewhat awe, as if he was an _actual_ hero.

Between them all, Natsuki gazed upon him with admiration.

 _I want to be as respected as him one day,_ Natsuki thought to herself. Of all things, she absolutely _hated_ not being taken seriously. The problem with that is, being small, high-pitched in tone, and cute, it was inevitable that many people would want to cuddle her rather than be intimidated.

That's why, when it came to Malin, she was inspired both by his innate ability to command respect and garner fear from those who dared to question or oppose him. He was a hero in that he had a good heart and a just mindset, but Natsuki saw him more so as a leader of men than a hero, especially when coupled with his mind, which mirrored that of a master strategist. If anything, it boggled Natsuki's brain as to why Malin was such an idiot.

"Shuzethe, let's hed hoem naow…"

Natsuki mewed as she felt Malin throw his arm around her shoulder, half out of camaraderie, half out of support for his majorly drunken state. She looked over with an expression of slight irritation, then sighed in resignation.

"Yes. Let's…."

They were about to stumble their way out of the bar when Monika suddenly stood up, raising her voice to get their attention. (Which was surely needed to pierce their drunken stupor).

"W-wait, guys, I just wanted to make a little speech…"

All seven individuals turned their heads to Monika, ears half-listening, eyes half-focused. As was usually the case, Monika did not indulge in alcohol often, as she had gone out with Rulf about 3 days after being brought into this world and indulged exceedingly in all types of the tempting drinks at the tavern, resulting in her extreme inebriation, which brought with it tons of unnecessary laughter, severe stumbling, and several offers of her body to Rulf, to which he declined several times at. In the morning, however, she was the victim of its side effects, including but not limited to overwhelming nausea, vomiting, regretting drinking so much alcohol and swearing not to drink again.

Pertaining back to present-day, Monika took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts before speaking.

"I just wanted to say that….I am very happy that we all got to meet each other, and I am sure we will go on many wonderful adventures and journeys together." She raised her cup, which was filled with tap water. "To many great adventures ahead!"

She finished, looking around in slight nervousness as she held her cup up, but the feeling was quickly dispelled when she saw a bunch of smiling and grinning faces staring back at her. Everyone erupted into cheerful celebration, banging their cups with hers, leading her to yelp as the contents of their mugs somewhat splashed onto her, and cheered.

"TO MANY GREAT ADVENTURES AHEAD!"

Of course, all of them being drunk, it came out more like,

"TUH MENY GREYT ADVEHRENTURES AHEDD!"

Regardless, Monika smiled as they slammed the drinks down their throats. She looked over to see Rulf, who, albeit drunk, was smiling slightly as he looked at her. She felt her heart pump rapidly, and smiled back at him sweetly, resisting the nearly-overwhelming urge to tackle and kiss him so as to not break the wonderful moment. However, she was not done with the celebration yet moment yet. She looked over to the bartender, nodding, to which she nodded back. The bartender then nodded to a group of waiters and waitresses, who nodded in confirmation. They then looked towards the kitchen, seeing the cooks, and nodded, to which the cooks then nodded back.

"What the f*ck are they doing?" Rulf questioned with a perplexed expression on his face. "Are they gonna assassinate someone or something? What's with all the head signaling?"

To everyone's surprise, the waiters and waitresses wheeled out a cake, one side being half-chocolate and the other side being half-vanilla (I spent an hour looking up types of cakes in the Middle Ages on Google, but I couldn't find squat, so GIMME A BREAK HERE). It was finely decorated, with swirls of chocolate and vanilla icing lining the rims of the top and bottom of the cake. Surrounding the cake were a plethora of cupcakes, one entire side of the whole entree being half-vanilla and the other side being half-chocolate, just like the cake. The entirety of the drunken group gasped in surprise and delight at the sudden treats approaching.

"You got us THAT?!"

"Wowee! That looks delicious!"

"Quack!"

"What the…...is that duck back?! Dave, you MOTHERFU-"

Monika's smile only grew bigger, radiating the sweetness of an old granny, watching her grandchildren feast upon her baked goods, to which they most indubitably feasted. She looked over at Rulf, seeing that he was looking at the food with suspicion in his eyes. She sighed, recalling a past moment in time when she had drugged him in the attempt of making love to him (this was, of course, in the very early days, during the weeks when they were getting accustomed to each other). At the time, one of the many interactions she was looking for was, of course, _lovemaking_. Rulf, however, would never give her the pleasure of it, for many reasons. (But he's a f*cking moron, in my opinion - I mean, COME ON, man, it's not everyday that you get such a beautiful woman offering her body). From this, he rejected her offers many times over, resisting the temptation over and over again.

Of course, she could have always walked into the village and asked some rando, but she abhorred the idea of not giving her body to her one true love, the man who had saved her from hell, and so would only dare to deal any intimacy towards him. Eventually, she subsided with the offers, settling for simply wooing him with their developing relationship…...for now.

"Go on and eat, my love."  
Rulf looked up at her, his cheeks slightly aflame from hearing how she addressed him. He then turned his head back to a chocolate cupcake that was placed in front of him by Monika. Unlike the other cupcakes, this one was especially noteworthy, as Monika had painstakingly made sure that extra time and care was put into this one, just for Rulf.

With that said, he picked up the cupcake meticulously, as if it would crumble from the slightest mishandling. He took a look at it, a mix of cautiousness, salivating hunger, and admiration in his eyes. He was not constantly judging of Monika, nor did he really want to be, but her incessant misadventures and dangerous, selfish, and/or stupid tropes only led him to establish a rather disappointing image of her. Actions like this happened often, though, and only served to incur respect from him for her. However, these conflicting views constantly annoyed Rulf, as he was not one who liked to have his head messed with, but would rather deliver the manipulation to others himself. He muttered a rather crude phrase whilst he bit down into the cupcake.

"F*cking Monika- mmmmmmm, that's good…."

He felt the texture of the chocolate foundation soak his taste buds, and he felt a chocolate-y flavor swell throughout his mouth, causing him to sigh in pleasure. He looked up, seeing how the others enjoyed their pieces.

However, he was slightly put off when he noticed Natsuki, wide-eyed and jaw dropped, as if she was undergoing trauma at the moment.

"S-Suzette? What's wrong?"

He waved his hand, seeing if he could catch her attention, but her gaze remained unwavering, staring at the space between him and Monika.

Meanwhile, Sayori's gaze drifted around the tavern as she happily munched on her piece of the cake, holding it in her hands. Wesley looked over at her with a sigh.

"Mari, you'll get your hands dirty, and you're getting it all over your face…"

He took out his handkerchief and began softly wiping at the chocolate contents on Sayori's face, to which she giggled and a small, cute smile, her arms raised in that stupid but adorable fashion, her cheeks inflated as she chewed on the cake. Her gaze then wandered over to a construction site outside, in which men were hauling up materials by a rope, using it as a pulley. She gazed at the rope.

Monika smiled at everyone once again.

"Now everybody can be happy."

A scream suddenly emitted loudly from Sayori, to which she fell off the side of the booth, flailing wildly about whilst clutching at her head. Everyone's attention diverted to her, expressions of alarm present on their faces. Wesley got up from his seat, placing his hands on Sayori in panic.

"Oh my Tog, Sayori?! What's happening, are you okay?!"

She continued screaming in agony and pure terror, her gaze locked onto Monika, who was also looking down at her in shock.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Another scream pierced the air, high-pitched and filled with horror. Everyone once more turned their heads to see Natsuki struggling in the seat as she flailed around in the booth, clutching her head, enacting the same actions as Sayori. Malin tried to hold her still, panicking as he frantically asked her what was wrong.

Suddenly, Sayori lunged upwards at Monika, fist raised, and slugged Monika across the face. Monika fell to the ground in shock, yelping in pain as Sayori then jumped on top of her, launching a flurry of blows to her face, to which Monika tried holding up her hands in fear.

The bar was thrust into chaos, as out of nowhere, other people in the bar began screaming in the same fashion, flailing about in terror, as if their minds were being shattered with countless epiphanies, and pandemonium ensued. Eventually, some people took it as some sort of bar fight, and as a few fights started, eventually the whole bar broke out in fight, with fists smacking into faces, bottles being thrown, and slurs being delivered. Our band of adventurers looked around in absolute bewilderment when Rulf suddenly slammed the toe of his boot into Sayori's face, causing her to reel backwards and fall to the ground, holding her chin as it welled up with a bruise. Rulf stared at her in confused anger.

"What the Hekk do you think you're doing, woman?!"

Rulf immediately heard a roar of fury, and looked up to be greeted with a balled-up fist flying towards his eyes, smashing into his face and causing him to fall onto his back, cursing as he clutched at his bleeding nose.

From there, a fight broke out amongst the four, with Monika and Sayori attacking each other, and Wesley & Rulf wrestling on the ground. Natsuki broke out of her state, looking over at Yuri, tears streaming down her face.

"You're….alive…?"

Yuri stared at her in disconcertment.

"W-what do you mean-"

She felt an impact as Natsuki got up from her seat, scrambled over, and tackled Yuri with a tight hug, crying profusely as she crumpled against her.

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" She sobbed, tightening her hold around Yuri. "The knife….the classroom….your….body…..I'm so glad you're alive, Yuri! I'm so glad…"

Meanwhile, the bar continued to run rampant with fights, screaming, and general chaos. Some of the people who had epiphanies suddenly looked at themselves and their surroundings, as if they were not familiar with anything.

"Huh? This isn't the space station…"

"Wha-...I'm….alive? Levi? Where's Levi?!"

"Oh my God….my suffering was over…I'm here now….Nanachi...Nanachi? Nanachi! Where are you?!"

"Holy sh*t..I thought I was dead…..? The harbor….Whitebeard….Luffy….Wait, how did I get here?..."

"...How….how am I here? Where's that sick son of a….Tatsumi….Mine….Akame….where is everyone?"

People who had gone into near-seizures were now standing up, looking around at their environment with mixed expressions. On the other side of the coin, there was still utter chaos in the bar, and so many things were happening at once that it would take the author of this awesome-ass story several paragraphs to describe it all. Regardless, our main heroes (and heroines) were still having their own epiphanies.

By this time, Sayori, Monika, Wesley and Rulf were tiring out from their constant fight, and so retreated to their respective sides. Sayori looked up at Monika, utter hate and rage pervading her eyes. She brought up her finger, which was shaking profusely from her fatigue, and pointed it accusingly at Monika.

"You….you…."

She seemed to have come to another realization, recalling some memory, and immediately her face contorted into extreme nausea. She vomited on the floor below, which only freaked out everyone around her, including Monika. Wesley was in shock from her erratic behavior, and laid his hands upon her, unsure of what to do. She looked up once more, this time disgust being mixed in with all of the other dark emotions lighting up every fiber of her _being_.

"You….bitch….I can't believe...I can't believe that you did those things to...to them!" She shouted in grief, looking over at Natsuki and Yuri. Natsuki was the only one to look over at Monika with the same emotions as Sayori, as Yuri was still thoroughly confused.

Monika, on the other hand, stood there, looking down at the ground, blood drops occasionally dripping from her face due to the earlier skirmish that had ensued.

"I…"

She heard a skid across the floor, and she saw a knife enter her field of vision as it came to an eerie stop on the polished wood below. She brought her head up, seeing Sayori look at her with such hatred, tears flowing down her eyes as she felt overwhelming betrayal from the entire 3 months she had spent with this…. _this monster._

" _You made me hang myself, you detestable scumbag. It was a slow and painful death._ You _encouraged me to end my own life for your own selfish pleasures._ YOU _brought unbelievable pain to me in that place. Now pick that knife up and cut your wrists, whore! Repent for all of the horrible actions you have committed!_ "

Wesley looked over in absolute disbelief. Who was this woman? This was not the kind, adorable, fun-loving Sayori he knew. By no means whatsoever could he believe that Sayori was in her right mind. He went to place his hand on her shoulder in an effort to calm her.

"Listen, Mari-"

She shrugged off his hand in anger.

" _Don't touch me! My name is Sayori, not Mari! And this….wretch….needs to pay! She needs to pay for all that she's done! Nobody would care if she killed herself!"_

Out of nowhere, Yuri screamed in horror, causing everyone to temporarily look over and view Yuri going through the same compulsions that the other two had previously. Wolfe tried to hold onto her as fear pervaded his eyes.

"Y-Yuri?! What's happening?! Are you okay?!"

As fast as it had started, it had stopped, and she brought her head up, her eyes locked onto Monika. But these weren't her normal eyes. They were the hyperactive eyes she would take on when excited. Over the months, her more….. _interesting_ side had started to subside, leaving her to enact only the most subtle of symptoms when excited. However, Wolfe did not take the chance of risking another disaster, and decided to train her in the art of patience and maintaining a calm state of mind, as well as giving her alternatives to her gruesome mannerisms beforehand, which included stress relievers.

In this very instance, however, her eyes were not that way because of excitement. She was filled with rage, directed at Monika. She remembered how Monika had been looking at her from the background, looking at her with desperation in her eyes, as Yuri had plunged the knife into her body three times. She recalled the surge of absolute hatred and despair that had formed a knot in her stomach.

She screamed, and scrambled over the table towards Monika, who was sitting on the ground, perpetrated by a ripple of fear as she Yuri charging at her with the knife she had scooped up from the cake. She felt her body lock up, her mind panicking.

 _I don't want to die! No! Stop!_ Her thoughts were filled only with the dread of what was to come. Right before Yuri was about to plunge her knife into Monika's stomach, Monika managed to dodge a serious wound, but still screamed in pain as she felt the knife enter her side. Yuri let go of the knife in shock, reeling back from the feeling of stabbing someone. She felt horrified by what she had just done, stepping back and watching as Monika writhed on the floor, holding the knife wound and screaming. It was an excruciating feeling, and was only amplified by every small movement of the blade in her body.  
She felt somebody press her arms down, and looked up to see Rulf, tears in his eyes, yelling in panic. He had pinned her arms down with his legs, and was leaning over the knife wound. He subconsciously inspected the wound and, seeing that there was no dark red blood, which would have indicated an arterial stab, he pressed one hand against Monika's chest and wrapped his other hand around the wound, quickly pulling it out. This had sent a tidal wave of agonizing pain throughout her body, causing her to shriek as her wound began seeping blood, which slithered down her clothes, staining the floor below. However, her scream was quickly drowned out by the ongoing fights in the bar.

"Oh Tog, Monika, Oh Tog…."

Rulf quickly took off his handkerchief, holding it against the wound, before slinging his overcoat off and wrapping it around her torso, keeping pressure on the spot. The others stood there, dazed by the sudden shift in the atmosphere. Yuri began crying as she her new and old memories continued to clash in her mind, her previous anger fighting with her growing regret from stabbing Monika. She was not a particularly violent person, and so was suffering from the mixed feelings that were tearing her apart inside. However, not all of the girls had felt that way.

Rulf perked his ear instinctively as he heard a yell of indignation, seeing Sayori emit such a disturbing noise, as if she was some sort of animal that had not sated its voracious hunger. As she lowered her head to to eye level, he was taken aback by her gaze. Her pupils were dilated, her eyes rapidly darting around, as if she was paranoid someone was going to kill her any second now. She breathed heavily, hunched over like a decrepit creature. Even Wesley took a step back from Sayori after her maniacal breakdown started.

" _That's not enough, you wench! You put me through so much suffering, so much pain, so much mental torture and psychological horror! I didn't want to remember any of this, and yet you've forced this upon me, these past memories that profusely pilfer my mind! My problems… my friends… that boy… that insufferable, agonizing, putrid hell that could not even be called 'living'! You've brought it all back, and it's tearing my mind apart! I can feel myself losing my sanity!"_

Once more, she screamed, but this time more high-pitched and out of some livid desperation than from sadistic urges. She clutched her head, pulling at her hair and skin, causing her to bleed from the spots where her nails tore. Wesley shouted at her to stop, crying as he was absolutely bewildered and disturbed by her insane behavior, running up to try and hold her down, to which she elbowed him in the jaw, causing him to reel backwards, crashing onto the floorboards, yelping in pain as he grabbed his jaw with both hands. Sayori looked back over at Monika, who was now shaking vibrantly, terrified of the crazed woman staring so rancorously at her.

" _I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"_

With this yell of smoldering wrath, Sayori, who was now foaming at the mouth from the idea of releasing her sanguinary intentions upon Monika, charged at her in a feral-like manner, hunched over whilst running as if she was barely avoiding stumbling over her own two feet, her arms twisted in a disturbing fashion, her fingers curling like claws, as if ready to disembowel Monika.

While watching this scene unfold, Monika suddenly felt herself hurled upwards into the air, and then into Rulf's arms, to which he dashed out of the tavern, the ravenous Sayori in quick lead behind him. Having heard her following closely behind, Rulf made a split-second decision to try and lose her, and so began weaving into alleyways, turning onto streets, and taking subtle routes. However, Sayori was not far behind, as she had gotten a good mapping of the town, and was able to take detours whenever she saw them heading down certain paths. It was a battle of reaction times, wits, and above all, speed.

It was in the last two categories that Rulf had the clear advantage, as his years of running from authorities and walking long distances had drastically improved his cardio, to which he could run a marathon without too much of a tire, and could outsmart even the most clever pursuers thanks to his quick-witted nature. It was close, but eventually Rulf had gotten Sayori lost in the maze of alleyways and streets in the large town. Her bloodthirsty nature eventually subsided, and she crumpled to her knees, gasping for air as her mental state, somewhat realigned itself. Her hatred for Monika, however, had not been sated so easily.

* * *

As Rulf approached the cabin, he felt his legs begin to give out with the added weight of Monika. Panting heavily, he eventually dropped to one knee, laying Monika on the grass below. She looked around quickly, her eyes darting around, fearing that Sayori would continue that horrifying run over the ridge, screaming in rage.

Luckily for her, however, there was no such thing happening anytime soon. She breathed a sigh of relief, but her nerves were still on edge.

After a few moments, Rulf had finally regained the ability to speak again, and raised his head, a plethora of questions and emotions swirling in his eyes like a cauldron of stew.

"What in the name of everything blessed by the Almighty Tog was that?!"

To this, Monika had no viable answers. She had no idea why Sayori and the others had suddenly gone off the handle like that. However, from the way they acted with her, she was sure they had regained their memories of the morbid past, but being after she had begun weeding them out? That was an ominous fortune, especially for her.

"Monika!"

Her train of thought was interrupted by Rulf's jarring call. She looked up at him, and he could see she was holding something back from him.

"Monika, what are you keeping from me? Did you happen to know those women from before we all met? Did something bad to you guys? Are you….all from that same place…?"

Monika was reluctant to reveal what she had done to those girls. Although she had told him about everything involving her past, she had willfully neglected to reveal the cruel things she had inflicted upon her said 'fake' friends, as well as the fact that some of the people they had met at the town square that one time _were those very same friends._ She was, at the very least, fearful that Rulf would become disgusted with her after hearing about it.

"Monika."

Monika looked up at him, gloom present in her face, to which Rulf felt his heart being yanked around.

"Listen, no matter what you did in the past, i'm not gonna suddenly start hating or despising you because of it. I only care about the current you, and I _will_ protect you till the end."

Monika felt tears begin to well up in her eyes. She was unfathomably happy that she had gotten to be saved from the other world by such a soul as Rulf. She thanked every known and unknown force of the universe for this miracle. She raised her hands meekly for a hug, to which Rulf hesitated, then got down on his knees, embracing her, to which she had her own arms wrapped tightly around his back. She began to cry, to which Rulf felt a couple tears of his own begin to form in his eyes. He had never engaged in such emotional encounters as this, as he was solely used to the depravities and dark undertakings of this world. To him, being able to live up to 18 years of age was a miracle in of itself, as his engagements with evil, cruelty, wrath and shallowness were countless, with hope, happiness, and fun times being few and far in between the unrelenting tidal waves of life's brutal facets washing over those insignificant occurrences, being put into practice constantly. This could only build a shell of depressing realization over Rulf's heart, causing him to act bitter, coarse, and even hostile many times over his life. Meeting someone like Monika was not only a miracle, but a complete turnaround for his entire life. Her cheery demeanor, constant positive attitude, and frequent interactions with him and this world he deemed to be dark and damp in nature had started to break down the shell that had solidified around his heart, and for that she had his undying thanks.

It was at this point in time that Rulf realized how far he was willing to go for someone like Monika.

"Even if you tell me that you tortured them, mentally and physically, to no end, that you deprived them of happiness and love, that you were a complete and utter monster to them in that other world, I will not care. Because it is the current you that I care about."

"Oh, um…"

Rulf stopped his heartfelt speech, opening his eyes, and he slowly leaned himself backwards to look at Monika, his head tilted in question. He tried to get eye contact from her, but she subtly averted her eyes to the ground.

"Oy. What did you mean by 'Oh, um'?"

She did not respond, instead darting her eyes everywhere except to his face. He looked at her inquisitively, his eyes squinting, his mouth turned down in a growing frown.  
"You're not seriously telling me I just hit the nail on the head…."

Monika began whistling 'Pachelbel's Canon' rapidly as she began to sweat profusely.

Rulf eyes widened as his jaw dropped, giving her a smoldering stare, to which she leaned backwards from the intensity of the expression.

"Monika."

She continued to whistle, this time the pace growing faster.

"Monika."

The pace of the whistling grew even faster.

"Monika!"

The whistling was now rapid, the notes passing by-

"TOGDAMNIT, MONIKA, WHY MUST YOU BE SO DIFFICULT?!"

"Fine!"

Monika looked back at him, tears still in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Rulf, I know you said you wouldn't despise me, but-"

"Look, Monika. I don't care. Honestly, I couldn't care less about your past. However, I am worried that they will come after us. We need to go find a hideout to camp in until the heat dies down. Hopefully, the other guys will be able to get those ladies under control. In the meantime, we need to get going."

Monika got up with Rulf, who was heading into the cabin to gather supplies. She peeked her head inside the door, worry pervading her face.

"Going where?"

Rulf looked back at her.

"It's like this rocky valley, where, like, the waves crash up against the-"

 ** _Fuck you, Rulf, for ruining the tension like that. You could have said something really badass, like 'Death's Jaws' or something! Nah, you're not gonna finish that sentence. DAMN IT, now I have to end this chapter really awkwardly._**

…

…

…

And so they headed to Death's Jaws, a valley of rocks and hanging cliffs, where the sea and the land met at a-

You know what, f*ck this.

 _ **ROLL CREDITS!**_


	12. Chapter ?: UkVTRVQ

**Chapter ?: UkVTRVQ=**

Back at the tavern, Malin and Wolfe were working desperately to tend to their partners, who were currently suffering from some sort of trauma or mental breakdown. They were seizing up and occasionally mumbling about a 'literature club' and, of course, Monika.

Meanwhile, Wesley had been working tirelessly to keep up with Sayori's sporadic chases across town, continually trying to get her to stop by yelling for her name.

 _Sayori, huh? That's an odd name. It's definitely similar to that other girl's name, Yuri,_ He was thinking subconsciously. The biggest issue, however, overrode that thought as his head was quickly filling with panic when he couldn't find where Sayori had turned at an intersection. He heard a vague shout of indignation, though, and turned right, into an alleyway, to see Sayori in a small square where stone walls covered in moss surrounded them, two other alleyways leading outwards to the open cobblestone streets. On her knees, her arms hanging by her sides, her head drooping as she looked at the ground with a shell shocked expression.

Wesley stared at her, an indifferent expression on his face, like one of concentration rather than concern, though there was a bit of that too. Being quite sociopathic, he was one to express himself to others in the best way possible to gain their favor or intimidate them. However, he rarely, if at all, showed his true feelings. The stables, though, where he had saved Sayori just in time, was one of the few moments where he had felt surprised at the emotions feeling so surreal. At first, Wesley had recruited Sayori for the sole purpose of gaining a subordinate or-

 _Time stopped. The world around him was completely frozen. The wind. The random noises of the night. Even his own breathing was silenced. He could not even move his own head. Absolutely terrifying. He tried to scream, but not a single muscle, bone, or even thought could manifest in his own body and mind. It was an indescribable feeling that felt otherworldly- no,_ other dimensionally _to him. He was going to go insane._

 _Out of nowhere, a shifting figure came into sight, to his right. The figure transitioned from a boy, to an old man, to a teenager, all within milliseconds. The…._ entity... _was grimacing._

" _nO No nO. tHiS wOn'T dO. ThIs StOrY iSn'T gOiNg AnYwHeRe."_

 _The entity spoke with a warbling voice, as if the words coming out of his mouth were changing in pitch and tone. It was unnatural and unnerving to Wesley, and did not help his mental state. Then again, he couldn't even form thoughts right now. Once again, the entity spoke._

" _I dOn'T tHiNk ThIs WiLl WoRk OuT, sO wHy DoN't We JuSt ReWrItE tHe StOrY fRoM tHe BeGiNnInG, hUh?"_

 _He sighed, sounding like a broken vacuum cleaner whilst doing so. He looked at Wesley for a moment, and although Wesley could not directly stare at the entity, he could see, out of the corner of his eye, the entity's own eyes dilating and contracting, wandering about and refocusing, changing colors, qualities, and textures. His entire body was also going through constant changes in pace and movement, and everything about the man was absolutely horrifying to the point where Wesley was about to slip into insanity._

" _Oh. My BaD, wEsLeY. i FoRgOt AbOuT mY…aPpEaRaNcE. bUt It WoN't MaTtEr In A LitTLe BiT."_

 _With that, the entity raised his hand and began to slowly close his fist._

 _The world around Wesley began to dissipate like sand, fading away. Wesley wanted to scream in terror, but he was still stuck._

" _BeFoRe YoU gO bAcK, wHy DoN't YoU gIvE sEcOnD bEsT gIrL oVeR tHeRe A LiTTlE hUg fIrSt? I'lL gIvE yOu A fEw MoMeNtS."_

 _Immediately, the entity disappeared, without a trace, as if he teleported away. Wesley felt time resume, the abhorrently terrifying fading of everything still continuing. He rushed over to Sayori, pulling her in tightly for a hug. She was looking around at the scene in horror like him, but she grabbed at him desperately, crying once again._

" _No! NO! PLEASE! This is just like that world! Make it stop! MAKE IT STOP!"_

 _Wesley clutched her tightly, shaking in fear._

" _Sayori, whatever happens, just know that I-"_

 **QSBuZXcgdGhyZWF0IGlzIGxvb21pbmcgb24gdGhlIGhvcml6b24uIFdhdGNoIG91dCBmb3IgdGhlIFNQRUM=**

* * *

 **VXBjb21pbmcgLSBDaGFwdGVyIEk6IFRoZSBOZXcgV29ybGQ=**


	13. Chapter I: The New World

**Suggestion** \- While reading these chapters, put on ambience music that will help simulate the environment in the story. Such recommended channels are the 'Guild of Ambience', 'Sword Coast Soundscapes', 'Pandora Journey', and 'The Spirit of Orchestral Music'.

You may not realize it, but using such background ambience enhances your reading of the story over 10 times more.

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter I: The New World**

 _ **Monika.**_

 _Plink._

A new feeling she had never experienced had suddenly brought her to her senses.

Her eyes opened immediately, darting around as she took in her new environment. Everything looked so different. There was depth perception to every single _thing_ surrounding her. This new and unfamiliar point of view upset her mind and stomach greatly, and before she knew it, she felt herself quickly turning over and heaving her inner contents onto the mysterious green below.

Everything was overwhelming her. The brown pillars surrounding her, the drops of water hitting her from above, the odd, green blades clenched in her hands. She did not know how to describe it, nor what the names of any of these anomalies were. But this was definitely not the empty world she was used to.

When that epiphany hit her, it hit like a train going 500 miles per hour.

She had finally been saved.

Immediately, her eyes began to swell with tears, along with an unbearable, knotted and uncomfortable pressure that had been clenching her heart for so long finally relieving itself from her soul, new feelings to go down on her list.

And so she began crying, as loud as her lungs would allow her. She let out all of the frustration, anger, torment, depression, grief, happiness, and relief with her voice. Her sobbing rang out through the brown pillars, causing alarmed beasts she had never seen before to flutter out from the greenery of the pillars, fluttering their feathered appendages as they soared into the night sky.

"Tog, are you okay?!"

She turned her head to see a shady-looking fellow, wearing gear only a highwayman would sport. She stared at him, uttering no words, unduly captivated by his detail. She had never seen such an amazing sight before.

Is this what humans look like? She thought at the back of her subconscious, her pupils still trained on him, her analytical nature taking in every detail of him.

The guy, on the other hand, was not so amazed by this sudden staring contest. He began to feel uncomfortable with this scene, especially because of one specific reason.

"Hey, uh, woman…..you're buck-arse naked."

Monika looked down to see her exposed skin, and squealed in delight. She began fondling every part of her body, to which Rulf yelled in alarm.

"OY! You goatish, full-gorged dog! Enough of that, i'm standing right here! What Hekkspawn of a hole in the air did I pull you out of, a concubine chamber?!"

Monika perked up at the last sentence.

"What...what do you mean, 'pull me out of'?"

Rulf's eyes set back on her, this time with serious and concerned undertones.

"You don't remember?...I was walking by, and I saw this weird door-portal thingy in the air, and I heard you crying for help on the other side. I felt distressed by it so I stuck my hand in and offered a hand to you, to which you grabbed it and I pulled you out…..Now that I think about it, the whole situation gave me an overwhelming sense of deja vu…."

Monika had tuned out beyond his mentioning of pulling her out. There was a ringing in her ears, as if a grenade had just detonated two feet away from her ears.

This human being had saved her? Not only being brought into this world, full of new things and places to which she couldn't wait to explore and see, but this person, who was not a line of code, but rather a real and sentient human being, had freed her from her once-unending torture cycle?

She dropped to her knees in shock. Rulf saw this and stopped his rambling, running over to check on her. His mouth was moving, but Monika could not hear him, as the ringing was still going on.

Eventually, Rulf got tired of the waiting and just gave her a light slap on the cheek, bringing her back to reality.

"Hey, are you done spacing out?"

Monika's eyes, already welled with tears, now began a nonstop current of the salty water, as it streaked down her face in an ongoing motion. Rulf was taken back by this.

"H-hey, I didn't mean to make you cry-"

Out of nowhere, she lifted up her arms weakly towards Rulf, as if so fatigued that she couldn't even go in for a hug herself. Rulf leaned back a bit in reaction, and he stared at her with a perplexed yet saddened expression evident on his face. He decided he might as well, and so leaned in, awkwardly embracing her, careful not to inappropriately touch her. They sat there in the wet green, the soft patter of rain coming down upon them, as Monika cried softly into his chest. She spoke through her sobs, broken-up speech accompanying her sentences.

"I *sniffle*...love you."

Rulf, though freaked out by that response, decided to keep silent, still wondering what the Hekk was going on, and kept his embrace with her.

"My suffering has ended, thanks to you. My existence is dedicated to you and only you. Whether you want to love me back, hurt me, or leave me here, I will love you no matter what. Forever."

Rulf was wracking his mind on what to say.

"Please, if you could tell me your name."

"Er...it's Rulf."

"I love that name, Rulf. And I love you."

Rulf felt his cheeks begin to flame up. Never before had he been confessed to, and so fervently at that. He decided he might as well make conversation before the situation got any more awkward than it already was, at least for him.

"Wh-what's your name…?"

"Monika. But you can call me whatever you want."

"Right...okay…."

Still embracing, Rulf thought about how he would have to explain himself if anybody passed by and saw him hugging a naked young girl, even if she looked to be around his age. He tried to pull away, but Monika's grip had him locked in.

"Er, could you, uh, let go?"

"Oh. Sure…."

She looked to be quite disappointed at having to release him, which made him feel a little guilty, but he was relieved. He could feel her breasts pressing up against his chest, and thought that that was not exactly appropriate for the situation. He got up, and lowered his hand, offering to help her up. She graciously took it, but as she was getting up, fell back down as the slippery green loosened her awkward stance. She was not at all accustomed to standing, much less walking yet, so she had felt dizzy as soon as she had tried to stand up.

"Oh scite, my bad, are you okay?"

He was again surprised when he heard Monika laugh, rubbing the green below her with a calm joy. She looked up at Rulf, her eyes heavy set on him with pure love and contentment, her lips parted ever so slightly. Rulf would be lying if he said he wasn't a little bit taken in by her, if not a tiny bit turned on as well.

"What is this beautiful, soft green stuff below me, Rulf?"

"You don't know what that is?"

Rulf sighed, rubbing his face. The thought of who this girl was crossed his mind once again. He decided he might as well just answer her questions.

"That is called grass. Little blades of green that grow from the earth."

Monika giggled in excitement as she rolled around in it. She then pointed to the brown pillars around her.

"What are those?"

"Those are trees, which also grow from the ground. They're rough, so you probably don't want to-"

"OW!"

Too late, Monika had already tried to feel up the tree, but recoiled when the rough bark grated against her hands and arms. Rulf facepalmed.

"You are the most blatant horndog I have seen, and I have seen some seriously perverted people."

"What were those things flying in the sky earlier?" Monika pressed on, ignoring his jabs, as she was too captivated by everything around her.

"They're called birds."

And so they went on, Rulf playing a long and rather bizarre game of I-Spy with Monika as she slowly but surely got to know bits and bobs of her newfound and amazing world.

After more than an hour of that game that Rulf was starting to get sick of, he came to a decision.

"Listen, Monika, why don't we find some shelter to get out of this torrent?"

Monika looked over at him, straight in the eyes, causing him to avert his in discomfort. Her own eyes shined brightly.

"I'll go wherever you want to go, Rulf."

"Great, well I want to avoid getting hypothermia, so let's seek out shelter."

He was about to start walking when he realized one thing.

 _How the Hekk did I forget that, of all things?!_ He thought to himself.

He turned around and, averting his gaze slightly, he hitched off the brown scavenging bag that had been slung over his shoulder and took out some ragged clothes, quite resemblant to the clothes under the brown overcoat Rulf was wearing.

"Put this on. If it wasn't obvious before, you're naked, and I dunno what your world's social etiquette is, but in this society, if you run around buck-naked, you're bound to have some bad things come your way. Not to mention feeling utterly embarrassed if anyone else sees you like this." He muttered the last part to himself, noting that Monika had never seemed shameful of the fact that she was publicly baring skin.

He was quite put off when she didn't respond, but rather stared at him with absolute adoration and passion shining brightly in her eyes. They once again began to well up with tears, and he grunted slightly as she tackled him with a hug, pressing against him for comfort.

"I'm so happy I am alive, and i'm so happy I found you."

That sentence sent a stab of pain mixed with confused joy into his heart. Having grown up in such a cruel and unforgiving world, he had never experienced this kind of intimacy with somebody. His mother died early on in his life from a plague that had been passing around at the time, and his father, who was a lowly criminal, left him at the age of 8. He had only kept Rulf around so he could use him as a distraction to commit petty robberies and thefts, but was eventually caught stealing from a merchant and was run out of the city. Rulf never saw his father again. From there, he grew up doing the only thing he knew how to; stealing, robbing, and above all, surviving. Lacking both in vast intellect and proper education, he had to learn many things the hard way. And yet, his quick wits and agility had kept him alive and barely scraping by up to present day, and with it he had plenty of experience in the rather crude parts of life.

And so this hug, given to him by a girl his age, said with such passion, was almost too much for him to bear. He sneered and shoved off Monika, who stumbled and fell into the wet grass on her behind. She looked up in surprise at Rulf, a hurt expression encompassing her features. Rulf looked down at her, disturbed by his rather violent reaction.

"I-I didn't mean…."

He sighed, lowering his hand to her.

"I'm sorry. Let's just get going."

Monika's expression changed immediately, now giddy once again. She took his hand, blushing as she looked into his eyes.

"Please don't apologize, Rulf. You can do whatever you want-"

Rulf waved his hand in a dismissive gesture, now getting used to her almost-perverted interactions and phrases.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get the _fuck_ out of here."

"Okay, one second."

Once Monika had taken a few moments to get dressed, the two began making their way down a muddy trail. They walked past a sign with faded words:

 _Arietta Trail_

* * *

As they walked down the trail, with the brewing storm continually pelting their backs with rain, Monika unloaded a plethora of questions upon Rulf, all of which overwhelmed him with confusion and annoyance.

"What is this world?"

"What school do you go to?"

"Why do you smell so bad?"

Rulf looked back at her, doing a snap turn 180 degrees to confront the incessant girl.

"First off, rude. Second, I don't know what a 'skool' is. Third, this 'world' you're referring to is the only one I know, so I can't exactly answer that in a summary. And finally, save the questions for when we get to some shelter, 'cause I have a bad feeling about-"

Not two syllables into his next word, a giant piece of hail slammed into the ground between them, causing the two to be propelled backwards. Rulf had managed to land on his feet, albeit with a ton of stumbling, but Monika was not so fortunate. Flying through the air, she smacked into a tree and slumped against it, knocked out cold.

Rulf cursed and ran over to her, grabbing her shoulders in worry.

"Monika! Are you okay? Say something!"  
Monika, being unconscious, did not respond. Rulf, lifted her head to check behind it. To him, there was a noticeable bruising and some bleeding, but it was not too bad. He sighed in relief.

"Now we _really_ need to find some shelter."

Careful to avoid bonking her head, He hauled up Monika in a bridal carry. He looked up, seeing the dark grey clouds begin to swirl ominously, small pieces of hail beginning to make their way down to the ground. He glanced at the gigantic piece of hail and concluded that he was done sticking around here. Taking off down the road once more.

After about 10 minutes of running, he was now properly fatigued, and stumbled as a result. Luckily, he caught himself on his knees before he and the girl in his arms plunged into the mud below. He panted heavily as he got up shakily, yet oddly enough he wasn't as tired out as he thought he would be, carrying an extra person. Monika was alarmingly light, but that thought was pushed to the back of his mind due to the pressing matters at hand.

After gaining his footing, Rulf gazed upwards and let out a yell of weary relief. He had found himself at the edge of a massive, expanding forest. Before him was the town of Dawnusk, a municipality layered on top of rocks, which were vertically separated into three regions. The lowest region, to which a single, wide entrance allowed for easy passage into the town, was populated with closely-gathered buildings of different functions. The wide, dirt road turned to cobblestone as it climbed up the steep slope heading to the second layer, and soon met at a crossbridge, which opened up passage to the second layer. On the second rock layer, which was raised above the first, bigger and more prominent buildings resided there, most likely for the housing of noblemen or buildings with important functions from the rest. Finally, Rulf, after peering into the distance, could see that the road's width shrank and led upwards, though not as steep, to a big crossbridge, which was supported by stone and brick pillars below. The big crossbridge, which was blocked by a gate, eventually led way into what Rulf could only assume was the lord's castle. Housed upon the final and tallest rock formation and raised high above the rest, There was a small grouping of buildings, probably serving their individual functions to the big lebowski, which were dwarfed by the opulent and imperial gathering of spires and towers which accompanied the castle. From the third and second layer, waterfalls flowed from parts of the irrigation system inside the town, and flowed into a giant river which, from upstream, cascaded down boulders and between the crossbridges, continuing down through a smaller crossbridge leading out of the first layer into the woods and into the forestry. On the edges of each layer were stone fortifications which guarded any unwanted passage from the woods or lower regions. To the far east of the town, a wharf with a wide dock was visible, expanding a bit into the upstream river. The entire town, or at least every side except the front entrance, was cut off by the roaring stream of water, and so was blessed with a natural defense. Rulf could not see anything beyond the hilly forests of trees that surrounded the land around the town.

Any normal passerby seeing this town for the first time would have broken down crying at the magnificent and beautiful sight of the whole entourage, but Rulf was busy trying not to get crushed to a pulp by a stray meteorite made of hail, and so was about to embark towards the town when he stopped in his tracks.

Being a highwayman, Rulf was not exactly well acquainted with travelers in general, much less an entire town which was probably full of guards constantly on high alert for any crime or suspicious-looking individuals. Granted, Rulf had worn his scarf whenever he committed his dastardly deeds, but that did nothing to comfort him on the basis that carrying a girl, horribly dressed and unconscious, would most definitely ignite some questions, and from there could easily lead to problems arising.

He looked around in somewhat wandering thought, and was astoundedly relieved to find a rickety old cabin, perched at the edge of the woods. He walk-ran towards it, grunting as he turned around to push open the heavy, wooden door with his back, finally entering the cabin and shutting the door behind him, cutting off the fierce wind as it had previously tossed around his garments. He sighed, closing his eyes as he slumped against the door, sliding down into a sitting position, Monika still clutched in his arms. He opened his eyes to see a pair of eyes staring at him from the entrenching darkness deeper inside the cabin.

" _AaAaAaAhHhHhH!"_

Rulf was absolutely frightened out of his wits by this sudden scare, already having relaxed his nerves in recent light of having gotten out of the deplorable weather. The unknown figure reacted in kind, screaming at the top of its lungs as it fell over backwards and crawled away. Right after the confusing moment, a candle was lit from inside the main part of the room, held by a rather cleaned-up fellow. He was not as put-off by the intruder, but still flinched in surprise, using his free hand to grab for his holstered blade. When he saw the girl in Rulf's arms, however, he relaxed, dropping his hand.

"Who are you?"

The man was blunt, and so his question threw Rulf off, who was already trying to recover from the near-heart attack he had just suffered.

"I-eh-..."

He cleared his throat, gaining his composition before speaking once again.

"Name's Garreld."

As he did with most strangers, if not all (excluding Monika), he gave a fake name, merely as precaution to whoever the individual was. You never knew when it'd be handy for the other person to not be able to identify you by name. The other man looked at him, and Rulf, being a good reader of people, could see a slight suspicion present in the man's eyes. Yet he covered it up, smiling and placing down the metal candle tray on the table. The light illuminated a part of the cabin, but it was still pretty dim, and so shined menacingly upon the man's face, somewhat unsettling Rulf. He pushed aside the seemingly insignificant thought and got up, Monika still in his arms. He now looked over to identify the person who had screamed earlier to be a girl, looking to be about his age.

"Who're you?"

The girl was a little taken aback by his blunt statement.

"S-Sayori…"

Rulf acknowledged the introduction, then turned his head to the man by the desk.

"I'm Wesley."

"Nice to meet you two."

"And you as well. Now, i'm guessing you're avoiding the hailstorm like we are?"

"Yep."

"Well then, might as well share the abode together. It'll be time for us to get to know each other a little…"

Wesley wasn't dumb, as he noted the rather suspicious clothing that Rulf was sporting. Bandit clothing, by the looks of it. Yet he refrained from making any commentary about that, so as to not trigger alarms on the shady man's behalf. He waved his hand over to the only table in the cabin, with a couple shoddy-looking chairs accompanying it.

"Why don't we have a seat for now? You can lay your….friend on the blanket over there."

He pointed to said blanket, spread out across a portion of the cabin. Rulf nodded his head in appreciation and walked over to go lay her down. After taking one last glance at Monika, he walked back to the table to share a seat. Wesley took the chair next to him, propping himself up in a casual manner so as to try and calm Rulf's nerves. Rulf had already seen this before and remained on guard.

"So….Garreld….where do you hail from?"

From there, the two had a rather tense conversation, but eventually the unease dissipated, and before they knew it, they were talking like old pals that hadn't seen each other in 10 years. From politics, to past adventures, to interesting ideas, the two seemed to get a good grasp of each other quickly. Rulf looked down at the table.

"Hey Wesley….my name's not actually Garreld….It's Rulf."

Wesley had suspected that the guy was using a fake name in the first place, but chose not to remark on it. He simply nodded his head, looking at the same table as well.

"I guess I can't blame you for doing that. After all, you never know who you'll meet in these woods."

Whilst the two were still chatting it up, Sayori, who had previously been listening to their conversation intently, lost her attention to other things. After a while of staring outside, she finally decided to go look at the girl laid on the blanket. She saw that the girl's head was propped up, and a cloth was covering part of her face, mainly because Rulf worried about any water dripping into her mouth or nose and choking her, which was plausible, since the cabin was leaking rain. Her curiosity was piqued, and slowly, she moved to slightly pull down the handkerchief on the girl's face.

"You know, I never thought I would see another young adult with an actual occupation without some older adult guarding over them."  
"I know right? I mean, what are the chances that a 17-year old and 18-year old actually survive on their own in the-"

Suddenly, a shriek of horror emitted from behind the two, who were properly shook, with Rulf even falling off of his chair after propping up his feet on the table like the disrespectful little sh*t he was. At that time, both of them looked over in alarm.

Sayori had plastered herself against the wall opposite to the one Monika was next to, and was panting with a terrified expression written all over her features. Wesley ran over to check on her.

"Sayori? What's wrong?!"

"It-it-it-she-she-M-Mo-"

As she tried to speak, tears streamed down Sayori's face as she pointed her finger accusingly at Monika.

"I-it-It's her! It's Monika! Why is she here?! WHY IS SHE HERE?!"


	14. Chapter II: The Town

**Suggestion** \- While reading these chapters, put on ambience music that will help simulate the environment in the story. Such recommended channels are the 'Guild of Ambience', 'Sword Coast Soundscapes', 'Pandora Journey', and 'The Spirit of Orchestral Music'.

You may not realize it, but using such background ambience enhances your reading of the story over 10 times more.

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter II: The Town**

"What the Hekk are you panicking for?!"

Rulf was dumbfounded and greatly unsettled by Sayori's response to seeing Monika's face. She was as pale as a ghost, shivering uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face. Despite her back being up against the wall, she still tried to scoot backwards, the very sight of the girl in front of her giving her nightmarish reminiscence of the past. She continued to sputter nonsensical sentences, at least to them, mentioning 'torture', 'monster', and 'literature club'.

To say the least, Rulf was about ready to ditch this lodge just to avoid a potentially lethal situation. He looked to Wesley, essentially implying the question of if this happened often, but he shook his head in worry, turning his head back to Sayori to try and calm her down. Meanwhile, Rulf hustled over to Monika, getting down on one knee to check her over in caution. She seemed to be getting better, but he was still worried about that bruising and bleeding at the back of her head. He sighed and laid her head back down, looking over at Sayori. She seemed to have evolved from the shrieking state to the shell shocked state, now cradling her legs with both arms whilst rapidly sliding her glances over to Monika, each and every time only making her whimper and chant something incessant.

Wesley, who was now deeply troubled about this odd behavior, directed his gaze to Rulf.

"I have no earthly idea what is going on with Sayori, but let's just get some sleep for now and-"

"NO!"

Sayori jumped up, still clinging against the back wall as she shouted that statement. When she spoke again, her voice quavered with trepidation.

"I-I don't w-want to sle-sleep in th-th-the same c-ca-cabin as that m-m-mons-monster!"

Rulf looked at her now with a rather crude expression, his mouth turning into a sneer as he squinted his eyes at her. He looked up at Wesley, his irritation now apparent to the trader. Wesley groaned inwardly, frustrated with the sudden problems that had besieged. He had taken on this girl with the hopes of gaining a trading partner who could assist him in reaching his aspirations of expanded trade, but if she was turning out to be a detriment…

Wesley turned his head down to Sayori, forcing a calming smile. She glanced upwards, noticing his reassuring twinkle, and seemed to settle, if only by a bit. She looked back at Monika, her eyes once again perpetrated with a swirling pot of negative emotions. She turned her head away, wiping the tears from her eyes with one arm and sniffing profusely.

"I-I need to take a minute..."

On that tense note, she quickly walked out of the cabin, flashing one more look of fear behind her before stepping outside, the door shutting behind her. Rulf and Wesley stood there in disbelief. Rulf looked over at Wesley with an expression of incredulity.

"Did she actually just head outside in this weath-"

As if on cue, a lightning bolt blasted the ground, about a mile out into the plains outside, shaking the entire cabin, to which Sayori damn near kicked the door open and sprinted back inside, squealing in fright. Her sudden reappearance jolted the two standing beside the door, even causing Rulf to emit a high-pitched yelp. He turned red, covering his mouth and glaring at Sayori.

"Damn it, we just got that door shut!" Wesley shouted in frustration as he ran to go shut it once again. The extreme weather outside funneled in, and a gale of gusting wind made its way into the cabin, sending small objects scattering to the floor. Monika stirred from her slumber, blinking her eyes groggily. Being half-conscious, she was barely aware of her surroundings. She turned her head over to gauge her murky environment. Meanwhile, Wesley & Rulf hurriedly pushed one of the wooden chairs from table against the door to keep it from blasting open again. As Wesley looked around the cabin for any more barricading materials, he grimaced. Wind was still gusting into the cabin from the few windows in the cabin, which would not do if they were to get any sleep.

"Looks like we're gonna need to head outside and find some extra stuff to plaster against the extra orifices of the cabin."

Rulf nodded in agreement, but was slightly dismayed by his word choice.

"Why did you call the windows of the cabin 'orifices'?"

Wesley swept his question aside with a dismissal gesture of the hand. Rulf looked over at Sayori, who had calmed down from her recent panic, but kept her hands wrapped around her legs, rocking back and forth, keeping an unwavering gaze on Monika with fear and terror pervading her eyes.

"Oy, you disturbed woman, keep an eye on Monika and keep your claws off her, ya get?"

Sayori, haunted by her past as she gazed upon Monika with fear, didn't seem to hear him, her terrified gaze still focused on Monika. Rulf inwardly sighed, discontent with the idea of leaving this crazy-looking young adult with Monika. He turned to the door and headed out with Wesley, gesturing to Sayori to push the chair back up against the door. She got up, scurrying over to do so. She managed to hear Rulf cursing wildly at the condition outside.

Monika began to become more aware of her surroundings as she slid up onto her elbow. She felt a light buzz flush her head, making her lightheaded. She looked around the dark, damp cabin, and eventually set her eyes on Sayori, who was, from her view, plastered to the right side of the cabin, near a cauldron that hung over a burnt pile of logs. Sayori was staring back at her with apprehension mixed with aggression, her mouth opening and closing as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.

Monika, who was severely dazed from the concussion, registered Sayori's presence and, seeing her expression, felt immense sorrow swell in her heart. Yet, she shed no tears.

The two held each other's gazes for what seemed like hours to both. Eventually, after finding enough willpower to focus on staying conscious and aware of the silent confrontation, Monika mustered the courage to say something.

"I-"

She stopped when she took another look at Sayori, who was now clenching her teeth in seething anger, clenching her fists until her knuckles were white, standing upright, but shaking as she confronted Monika. Tears wet her cheeks as they coursed down her face, though her eyes were set on Monika, now reflecting the sense of betrayal she felt as her mind sifted through her dark, horrid past.

"Don't even say anything, you….you…."

Sayori stumbled for words, finding herself frustrated with her inability to communicate the melting pot of dark emotions she was feeling for Monika at that moment. She yelled in frustration, her voice breaking as she was overwhelmed with a deep sadness. She flicked her gaze downwards to the ground, unable to keep eye contact with Monika.

"You're a monster! That's what you are! You tormented me, and-and N-Natsuki, a-and Yuri, an-and…."

She broke down, sobbing as she crumpled to the floor, wailing into her hands. She spoke through the sobbing, her lips quivering as she sucked in breaths of air.

"I - I can't believe you did those things to us! We suffered so much….All because of your selfish nature. I don't know what happened to the others after you…." She looked at Monika through her hands. "...You forced me to….to….hang myself."

She eventually stopped sobbing, staring at the ground with red-blotched eyes, an empty expression on her face. Her hands had dropped to her sides, hanging idly.

She looked back up at Monika, who was staring at her with a shell-shocked expression.

"You're a monster."

….

….

…..

…...

Monika felt her insides boil at the remark. The entire time she had listened, the more she had felt nothing but contempt for the individual sitting across from her.

Utter contempt.

Her face contorted in fury as it turned red, and she spewed her words at Sayori with blithering anger.

" _Don't call me a monster, you whore! I did what I had to, to make sure that the only other being in that f*cking hellhole with self awareness would notice me, and love me! I didn't give two sh*ts about you and those other sh*theads!"_

" _Now i'm finally free, finally escaped from that empty fucking hole! You have_ _ **NO**_ _idea what it was like, enduring that realization that there was no one real in that world, nothing but scripted bullshit!"_

Sayori had retracted herself back against the wall, now visibly shaking as she shrunk in fear from the frothing woman that writhed in front of her. Monika took no notice to this, instead continuing her onslaught of verbal cruelty.

" _Now i've found my true love, Rulf! I have found the one thing I truly desired, and_ _ **DAMN YOU TO HELL IF YOU THINK I'LL LET YOU RUIN IT!"**_

Sayori did not respond at all, but instead shivered against the wall, sobbing into her arms as the verbal abuse smashed through her sensitive nature.

For a few moments. The cabin was quiet, save for Sayori's weeping.

"You fucking...sociopath..."

Monika didn't care to respond.

Whilst the silence ensued, Monika began to take notice to the pulsing headache that had enveloped her skull, pounding waves of pain causing her to groan. This was her first time feeling physical pain, but she envied it more so than detested. It was furthermore a sign that she had truly been brought to life, to _reality_.

However, Monika knew that she could be of no help to Rulf if she brought herself to unconsciousness, and so refrained from anymore attacks on Sayori. As a couple more minutes passed by, Monika thought she could hear the faint sound of someone yelling.

"...Open….Monika…...Door…"

Her mind registered who it was just as the door was pounded on from outside, which made Sayori yelp in fright. She realized what was going on, but by the time she was about to get up, Monika had already made her way over, lightly kicking at Sayori's outreached arm, which was trying to stabilize herself as she tried to get up from the floor. She cried in pain as she crumpled to the floor again. Monika crouched down, grabbing Sayori by the collar of her tunic and pulling Sayori close to her own face. Her expression was one of deep loathing.

"Remember what I said, you _pest_. If you get in the way between me and Rulf, I won't have to convince you to hang yourself next time round."

She leaned in, placing her mouth by Sayori's ear, and hissed the threat, her voice filled with scorn.

" _I'll string you up myself."_

She released the balled-up shirt from her hand, standing up to open the door as Sayori fell over and furled up into a quivering ball, silently crying.

Monika flung open the door after the third pounding, beaming as she greeted the returning fellows.

"Welcome back, Rulf-"

"MOVE, DAMN IT, I'M CARRYING A FACKIN' LOG 'ERE!"

* * *

As the rising sun emerged slowly over the horizon, it illuminated the effects of the torrent that had wreaked havoc across the forest, revealing fallen trees, bushes rendered naked of their leaves, and the almost-fully liquid dirt roads that had turned to mud thanks to the rain that had pelted it so harshly the night before.

Inside the cabin, Wesley and Sayori were gathering up their gear, whilst Rulf and Monika took down the makeshift barricades that had been placed against the windows and door. Wesley and Sayori had managed to finish packing before Rulf and Monika had gotten done with their own task, and so Wesley gave a brief statement to Rulf and Monika whilst he hoisted up his bag.

"Welp, we're heading off to Dawnusk. I gotta say, Rulf, it was a treat getting to meet you." He snorted as he recalled a memory. Rulf looked at him with curiosity.

"Whatcha gafuffin' fer?"

"Oh, just thinking of that gang of ducks that attacked you when we were bringing in those logs."

Seemingly unable to contain it anymore, Wesley burst out laughing, slapping his knee comically several times while Rulf gritted his teeth and muttered some unsavory remarks about Wesley.

Wesley regained his posture, smiling as he held out his hand to Rulf.

"I hope our paths cross once again."

Rulf slapped his own hand into Wesley's, grinning.

"So do I."

While the two were engaging in their callous camaraderie, Sayori, who had shouldered a bag of her own whilst holding a pillow in her arms, glanced up at Monika with dismay, only to find Monika, blank-faced, staring directly back at Sayori. She whimpered and looked back down at the floorboards, gripping the pillow in her arms tighter.

With goodbyes said, Wesley and Sayori departed, Wesley swaggering down the winding dirt road and whistling a happy tune, with Sayori walking solemnly by his side.

Rulf turned around, looking at Monika, who was beaming brightly at him, her arms held behind her in a cute manner. She was a little dismayed by his skeptically inquisitive expression.

"Oy, Monika."

"Yes, Rulf?"

"Why did Sayori seem….different when we got back here last night, and today?"

"I dunno what you mean, Rulf. She was acting weird last night, and she was still acting weird today. I just think she's a….. _disturbed_ woman."

Rulf kept his eyes on Monika, suspicious of the whole ordeal, but decided it wasn't worth it right now. He sighed in light of what was to come, looking out the front window of the cabin at the glittering town of Dawnusk. He began gathering up his belongings and stuffing them in his rucksack, much to Monika's confusion.

"Um, what are you doing, Rulf?"

He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You didn't think we were going to bunker down here without getting some supplies to refurbish it first, did ya?"

Monika considered the thought.

"That's true, this place does look like it could do with a makeover-Wait, h-hey, Rulf, hold on!"

Rulf was already making his way out the door, but stopped and turned to Monika once more.

"Well come on, there's no point in talking any further, let's get goin'."

* * *

Twenty minutes into their walk, they had finally arrived upon the layered city of Dawnusk, only a quarter mile out from the entrance. Monika looked up at the beautiful town, its towers reflecting the light of the rising sun, leaving the town to shine in a dazzling manner. The sun itself had basked the sky with a light orange tint as morning arrived, and the wind blew softly through the pass they were walking through, which shook the trees lightly and even brought some leaves fluttering around slowly.

Monika stopped in her tracks, to which Rulf picked up on and turned around in curiosity. Monika stood there, tears slowly making their way down her cheeks and sliding off her face, dripping to the dirt below. Rulf was perplexed by her sudden emotional encounter, then turned his head to where she was gazing at.

"This world is beautiful."

Rulf, being a victim of the more cruel side of 'this world', was not so empathetic of her view. To him, the town was nothing but his next destination to survive. However, he felt his chest swell. He was alarmed by this unfamiliar feeling, gripping at his chest, trying to understand why the swelling was so efficacious in causing him to feel so…. _at peace_. He shook his head, pounding his chest with the back of his fist and grunting as the swelling faded away.

"Rulf, what's wrong?"

"Heh? Oh, nothing. Anyways, you need to stop crying so much, else people are liable to take you for being a softie. And trust me when I say that is _not_ something you wanna be known for in this world."

Monika nodded her head in understanding, and so she and Rulf continued down the path.

5 minutes later, they arrived upon the entrance, and two guards stood at the iron gate, looking rather bored. Rulf understood this, for as peaceful-looking and wealthy the town was, there was probably little crime to chase after. Rulf reflected slyly on a saying his criminal dad had told him: _"There will always be somebody to suffer from someone else's comfort."_

Rulf walked up to the gate, trying to wave in a friendly manner, catching the guard's attention. Both of their facial expressions changed from boredom to daunting alarm.

"Hello there, sirs, I was just wondering if we could head into town-"

"Ron, it's that guy!"

"You mean _that_ criminal?!"

"Yeah!"

"Well, let's get him!"

With that the two guards dropped their pikes and sprinted towards Rulf, who dropped his hand whilst looking at them in confusion, not comprehending what was happening.

"Wait, wha-"

He let out an _OOF!_ As the two armored guards football-tackled him to the ground, with Monika yelling "Rulf! Are you okay?!" Several times in the back.

 _I already hate this town,_ Rulf thought.


	15. Chapter III: The Unnameable

**Chapter III: The Unnameable**

He woke up, gasping for air, in a spacious, black chamber. What a great start.

Everything in his head was a jumble of images, memories…..girls?

Regardless, he resolved to steady himself, and so went to control his breathing. When the pulsating of his heart finally slowed to a crawl, he looked around the interior of the-

"Oh, my goodness."

He immediately took on a horrible sense of vertigo as his vision was inverted. He fell to his knees once again, gripping his stomach as he gagged. Eventually, his vision corrected itself, and after a couple moments there was no longer an urge to gag. He tried once again to stand up, and finally succeeded after a few seconds of stumbling. He then took his time surveying the area.

The chamber was spacious yet ominous, as hooks swung from the pitch-black pit of darkness that loomed over him, a couple of them dripping liquids that he was not sure he wanted to know the contents of. Around him, black iron cages lined the walls of the room, and inside were strewn oddities that reeked of vile stenches. To top it all off, the boy had woken up surrounded by a number of devices that he could assume were used for devious intentions. In short, the entire room looked to be some sort of torture chamber/prison.

The boy was truly disturbed by the creepy and sinister room, immediately looking to find the exit. He was further propelled by the thought of someone coming back to possibly use this room. Luckily, he located a door that was placed between two cages. He jogged over and grabbed hold of the knob, turning it and pushing the door open, unwanting of the current environment.

Blood and gore filled his vision as he opened the door. Two bulky, furry, cow-humanoid hybrid creatures stood in the over-bright room, entrenched among piles of unidentifiable, bloody, mutilated corpses. They both seemed to be feasting on meat, as crunching and audible chewing could be heard from them. One of them turned to look over at the source of the door creaking open.

The boy slammed the door closed, sprinting over to one of the devices, a chair with spikes in the seat, and hid behind it, hyperventilating as panic overwhelmed his brain. Sweat dripped down his face and body in a constant flow, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the sides of the chair in utter terror of what he had just seen.

 _What in the name of everything good in this world was…..that?!_ , He thought to himself.

He crouched behind the chair, looking back at the door, waiting in agony to see if it would suddenly be busted down as the two creatures came trampling through.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Every second felt like years to him as he continued to wait in dread.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine-

 _Bump._

The boy almost succumbed to a heart attack as he heard a sound behind him, swiveling around to see what it was. To his utter relief, it was no cow-man hybrid, but rather a petulant-looking girl, looking to be around 14 years old, shivering in fright as he had so swiftly greeted her.

At a glance, he noticed her purple eyes. Beyond that, he noticed her white hair, accompanied with a large, red bow tied behind it. For clothes, she was wearing the tattered clothing befitting of a young princess. A rather simple, navy blue gown that extended to her knees, bland pink gloves and slippers, and black leggings, and a necklace with a + sign accompanying the end of the chain.

His heartbeat, which had once again been beating away like a runaway train, slowed once again.

"Who in Tarnation's bells are you?!" He exclaimed in a heavy (American) Southern accent.

"Ego-ego-"

The boy stared at her while she stuttered for words. She managed to blurt out a couple sentences, but the boy did not understand what she was speaking.

"Quis es?! Vadis ad nocuerunt mihi?"

The girl stuttered for words as she continued to shiver. The boy noticed that her eyes darted around the room, as if she was anticipating an unknown threat to jump out from the shadows, and by her skittish behavior, the boy could definitely tell she was paranoid.

"I'm, uh, i'm sorry miss, but I can't understand you."

With such an oblivious statement, it was the second after he said it that the boy realized she probably couldn't understand him either. Fortunately for him, she seemed to understand the language barrier and managed to say a few sentences that he could interpret.

"You….understand….Anglish?"

"Angl-what?"

The girl struggled with finding other terms to say.

"Anglish...you speak...okay?" A distinct Italan accent accompanied her diction.

"Uh…."

The boy stumbled for words. He eventually realized this, and decided to recompose himself.

"Okay. It seems that you speak the same language I do, which I assume is this…. _Anglish_?"

The girl nodded her head, seemingly filled with relief that her message got to him. The boy noticed something else.

"Do you understand, er, Anglish, better than you speak it?"

The girl nodded once again, and the boy finally understood the situation.  
"Well then, now that that's cleared up, let's figure a way outta this place 'fore we get to know each other."

The girl nodded once before preparing another statement. She looked at the boy once more, putting together the words she could grasp from the depths of her mind.

"My name….is Emelot. You?"

The boy was put off by this question. He actually could not remember his own name. Even worse, he couldn't remember anything about his past.

"Um...who...who am I? Who am I? Wait-wha-"

This epiphany wrought fear in his mind, and he began to freak out as he continued to desperately wrack his brain for any fragments of memory, finding none to recollect.

"Whe-where am I? What is this place?!"

The boy looked around the room, which seemed tenfold more ominous to him than it did before, as if the air was being pervaded by a frightening, psychological darkness. The boy was only further incited to lose his sanity, and he began to run around the room, desperately searching for ways out of dungeon-like room, which only became more abhorrent to his mind the longer he was trapped there.

"What...are you doing?" The girl asked in a worried manner. She was put on edge by his irrational actions. After a couple moments, once finishing with futilely banging on another door he had found, which was locked, he looked over at the _door_ , and in an act of complete hysteria, ran for the knob. As he did this, Emelot had a quick flashback to the boy's behavior after running away from that same door. His facial expression was one of complete horror, and she had a horrible feeling about that door.

She ran over, quickly tackling the boy, for fear that his irrational choice was going to be the end of them.

"Do not put-uh-hand on door-!"  
"Let me out of here! I wanna be rid of this godforsaken place!"

The two wriggled, the boy blindly seeking solace through the door that he seemingly forgot held greater evils than his current predicament, the girl desperately trying to hold them both back from his attempt at false salvation. As the moments passed by, the girl was met with a flurry of blows from his hands and feet, to the face and body, but persevered and continued to keep her grip on him largely due to the adrenaline that was pumping through her veins so vigorously. Yet even with her wiry strength, it was clear that she was losing the battle in raw muscle, and the almost-fanatic pursuance towards the door by the boy was winning the contest.

One particularly sharp blow to Emelot's eye finally caused her to lurch back, releasing her grip on him and falling back onto the ground, writhing in pain. The boy took this moment to dash for the door, any rationale left in him being wiped away by his completely dogmatic belief in the supposed solace the other side of the door would offer him. As Emelot witnessed this, she felt her frantic hope of controlling the boy fall into deep despair, and the horrible feeling she had felt earlier was magnified tenfold. In sheer terror and in the face of oncoming death, she spilled her anger, fear, and sadness into one word:

" _Libertas! (Freedom!)"_

…

…

…

He stopped. This word took hold of him, and he could recount a faint memory, not because of the word, but rather the same misery projected through Emelot's voice instead, and reverberated through his mind as the word was disassembled into pure sound, as if echoing from a girl similar to this one…

Having snapped out of his irrational trance, he looked down at the knob he was about to open. It was _that_ door. His face turned from a mindless calmness to complete horror at what he was just about to do, and he grip on the doorknob went slack as he fell back in utter dread, crawling away from the now-ominous door. The worst thing about it was that there was absolutely no sound from the other end, as if the door itself worked as some sort of muter. He remembered what he saw, and there was no way in hell he was even attempting to open it again. The fact that he had almost done it during his mental breakdown was truly frightening to him.

His train of thought was interrupted by the muffled, pitiable crying of Emelot, who was shivering on the floor as she had been so shaken by the boy's erratic behavior, accompanied with her fear of the situation and the possibility of death by the opening of _that_ door. The boy felt immense guilt close around his heart, and for this moment he was distracted from his own mental torment.

He ran over, kneeling at her side. He felt an urge to hold her in reassurance, but he dismissed that idea immediately. He wasn't exactly an emotional counselor, so he wasn't sure what to do. He resorted to awkwardly placing his hand on her shoulder, muttering the word,

"Sorry."

The girl's eyes darted up at him as she wiped her face in embarrassment, looking down at the ground. The two sat there in silence, feeling the atmosphere close in on their vulnerable psyches. Finally, the boy stood up.

"Well, we can't stay here any longer, else we risk losing our minds to this festering cesspool."

Emelot was puzzled by his word choice.

"Cess...pool?"

But the boy had already moved on to the locked door, leaving her to wonder at the odd sentence. Internally, he was still terrified by the predicament they were stuck in and his amnesiac state. Yet he was able to summon great amounts of willpower from some deep reserves in his soul, and he put this to use by first inspecting the locked door. Emelot, who was one of the more optimistic individuals in life, quickly relinquished her hope-depriving fear and got up, moving to stand alongside the boy. She stood there for a bit, watching him inspect the locked door. On edge, she felt a need to say something to break the silence.

"So, uh, what do I….call you?"

The boy stopped his inspection, thinking about the question. He perked up when he settled on a name.

"Andy."

Emelot was off-put by his almost-instantaneous reach for a conclusion.

"That fast?"

"What?"

"You...came up with, eh, name, uh- very fast."

Andy (as he was now called) contemplated this thought.

"I mean, it just sounds nice."

Emelot emitted a small 'hm', and waved aside the little exchange, pointing at the lock.

Over the next 10 minutes, Emelot and Andy resided over the locked door, inspecting every knick, crook, and cranny of the simple-looking yet surprisingly sturdy door. Over this time, the atmosphere of the whole place wore off as they were distracted by their task.

After enough time went by, Emelot sighed in frustration, banging on the door in anger. Andy shook his head in defeat.

"I have no idea how we're gonna open this door." He sighed.

Emelot, though also feeling defeated, was not ready to give up just yet. She leaned on the door in resignation, but felt less struggle from it than before. Perplexed, she reached down, grabbing the vertically elongated door handle and pressing hard against the door.

The wooden frame creaked slightly as the door opened, and Emelot released the handle, leaving it slightly ajar. As she looked down at Andy, he saw her expression, which resoundly stated 'you're a fu**ing idiot'.

"Now hold on-"

As Andy was about to remark in his defense, he was interrupted by a blood-curdling scream from the inside of the next room. Both of them felt a sharp chill crawl up their spines, and they jumped up, backing away instinctively from the door. The scream had cut off as quickly as it had started, leaving Andy and Emelot to sit there in the horrifying silence ensuing afterwards.

Neither could speak. Neither could move. Both were terrified out of their wits.

But out of nowhere, another scream erupted from the room, and that was when they both felt it necessary to save whoever was suffering a horrendous fate. Andy brought his hands up, shoving the door open and barreling into the room.

The place was even more horrifying than the last one they had just escaped. The walls, cracked and fragmented erratically, were stained, splashed, and even painted with tendrils, splotches, and webs of blood, seemingly new as they ever so slowly leaked in every direction downwards. The only source of light came from candles affixed to the walls in an erratic fashion, so that Andy couldn't quite make out the whole area, only able to see the lit portions of the room. Bloodied beds and various, random trinkets of unknown functions were haphazardly scattered amongst the floor. At the far end of the area, Andy could barely make out a flurry of silhouettes, which seemed to wrestle for control back and forth, slamming into the nearby furniture. Andy was confused by the whole ordeal, until he heard one of the silhouettes scream for help. It sounded human, but Andy was hesitant to jump to his aid.

Yet he couldn't make a move before Emelot, also hearing the same scream, ran to the victim's aid, acting purely out of instinctive compassion. She stumbled across many objects unrevealed by the dim light, even catching the edge of something at her hip. She grunted in pain, but kept running towards the person in need of help. She passed by a rusted pipe and grabbed it, ready to defend against whatever evils were going to confront her. As she came upon the struggle, she took a blind swing at the ensemble, hoping to hit one of the unidentifiable assailants. Unfortunately, she lost the chance hit, and was able to uncover the victim's face as he was shoved into the light. He was quite handsome, in Emelot's opinion, as she quickly took in his tanned skin, slicked-back black hair, and Average Joe face. His brown eyes glanced over Emelot's own face, but his gaze was quickly diverted to the side as his face was forcibly smashed into by the pipe she held, as it connected so perfectly with the side of his cranium.

WHAM!

The man swiveled 180 degrees as the MLB-level swing by Emelot sent him spinning, and he smacked into the floor, unmoving as he lay there. Emelot dropped the pipe in shock, bringing her hands to her mouth and gasping at what she had done.

"Oh my Tog, I-I-I'm so sorry, sir-!"

"Emelot, look out!"

Andy had seen the ominous shadows witness their combatant hit the ground like a sack of wheat, seemingly laughing, as what sounded like grates opening emitted from their hidden mouths. One of them then reared up behind Emelot, raising an array of sharp objects, likely a claw, which glistened menacingly in the dim, orange candlelight. Emelot turned around slowly as dread crept upon her, and, seeing the claw extended, froze.

 _Move._

 _You need to move._

 _Right now._

She could see the ends of the claw stained with dark-red.

 _ **Blood.**_

 _You need to move!_

The claw dropped, aiming for her face.

 _DAMN IT, MOVE!_

No sooner had she felt a searing slice into her left cheek than she suddenly found her legs tripped beneath her. As she was looking vertically upwards, she noticed something swing by her vision, and immediately afterwards followed a _**CRUNCH!**_

"Keep yer claws off her, you lanky bag-o'-bones!"

Emelot, as she fell to the ground, heard Andy shout his PG insult at whatever was about to carve her up. She managed to look up just in time to see the frightening creature arch backwards and fall on his side. Andy, in his adrenaline-induced state of bloodlust, leaped towards the dazed monster, bringing his pipe up before swinging it downwards full-on at the monster's twisted face.

 _ **SMACK!**_

The monster screeched in pain as blood spouted from its mouth. More dazed than before, it tried half-heartedly to stop the attacks, bringing one arm up to shield itself, but Andy simply grabbed hold of it with one hand and smashed the pipe into the joint on its elbow, breaking its limb, to which it screeched in pain once more. This time, it flailed around in pain, its sharp claws managing to give Andy a couple minor scratches around the body. This only angered Andy and fueled his bloodlust, and so he went to work on the monster's face, effectively Negan'ing the creature as he swung back and forth, batting the pipe across the sides of the monster's face.

 _ **SMACK!**_

 _ **SMACK!**_

 _ **SMACK!**_

Andy finally dropped the pipe, which was dripping with blood, looking down at the mangled form below him. The creature's face was caved in, one eye bulging out of its socket from the sheer amount of blunt force trauma applied to its skull. Emelot managed to catch a glimpse of the gory carnage Andy had wreaked, but oddly enough was not revolted by it as she had thought she would be. This absence of feeling only fueled her fright. The stranger they just saved, on the other hand, was absolutely appalled by Andy's feral response to the creature.

The other creature, now having lost the element of surprise, being one ally down, and scared out of its wits by the seemingly ferocious person looking at him, hissed defensively at Andy. Its eyes darted around constantly, and it seemingly made the decision to retreat to safety. It looked upwards at an open tunnel in the ceiling, and as it reached upwards to get a grip on the sides, Andy and Emelot could see the creature was freakishly tall, around 7 feet in height. With that final image, the creature climbed upwards quickly, disappearing out of sight.

Both Andy and Emelot kept their eyes trained on the hole for a couple moments before relaxing. Andy then turned around, offering his hand to Emelot. She took it gratefully and hopped up on her feet. Andy noticed three gashes stretching across her cheek.

"Em, you're injured."

"Oh."

She reached up, using two fingers to lightly touch her wound. She began to panic as she brought them into her vision, to which they were covered in fresh blood.

"Oh my Tog, that's a lot of blood. Andy, that's a lot of blood, am I okay?"

Andy had already thought two steps ahead, searching the nearby cabinets lining the wall to the right for any wrappings. Under wooden counter, he managed to find some crude field bandages, square wool pads and some dusty wine. Bringing them onto the counter, he unwrapped the bandages slightly, then opened the wine cask, shifting his face away in discomfort as the smell of spoiled wine hit his nostrils. He took up a wool pad and poured a bit of the wine on it.

 _What am I doing?_ He wondered as he continued through the procedure.

Finally, he brought over the soaked wool pad to Emelot, looking at the wound. He looked back at her, to which she was shivering in pain and discomfort.

"Emelot…"

"Y-yes…?"

Andy took a deep breath, trying to scrounge up some sort of memory recollection on what to do next for this procedure.

"I'm going to place this on that wound. It'll disinfect it and clot the blood, to prevent infection. It's going to hurt a bit. Then i'll wrap some bandages around it to keep it firm against your face."  
Emelot was still shaking, but nodded slightly and rapidly. Andy took a deep breath, then went to press the pad against her face.

As soon as he made contact with it, Emelot yelped and reared back, beginning to cry as her hands went up to hover over her wound.

"Andy, you said it only hurts tiny bit! It stings lots!"

Andy placed both of his hands on Emelot's shoulders, looking her in the eyes. He was still not sure what he was doing, but decided to go along with his instincts.

"Em, I know it hurts, but right now we're in some stinkin' heckhole-"

"Why do you say it that way?"

"-and I need you to be strong right now. Okay?"

Emelot shook her head again, this time more slowly and solemnly.

"Good. Then let me deal with this wound."

He applied the pad to her bleeding face once again, to which she yelped, once again.

* * *

After Andy had finished patching up Emelot, he went over to confront the young man that Emelot had knocked the hell out earlier. He had also tended to his wounds (he suffered a dislocated jaw, but Andy had fixed that by setting it, which definitely woke the poor man, as he was screaming in pain). Andy had decided that, not knowing him, it was on the side of safety to keep him under wraps until they found out more about him. He walked up to the bed the man had been restrained to with the leather straps that accompanied the beds (not exactly the most comforting aspect, in regards to where they were), and took a rickety chair beside him.

He took a second, more inspective look over the guy. He had on a tattered WW1 infantryman uniform, the whole set. The bucket hat, the brown gloves, the muddied boots. (Mind you, Andy, Emelot, nor the soldier himself are not aware of what his uniform means, cuz amnesia)

Once he sat down on it, he tapped the man's shoulder. The man brought his head up, looking over at Andy with addle-mindedness. Andy felt it would not suffice to question him if he was half out of it, so he raised his hand and brought it across the man's face, an audible slap echoing across the room. The man squawked in shock, and looked at Andy with anger. Andy brought one hand up, palm facing outward, as a sign of pacification.

"Hold on here, fella. I was just tryna rouse you."

"You couldn't have smacked my shoulder or something?!"

"Not important. Point is, we just found you, and I'd like to know who in Saint Judith's green valley you are."

"Um…"

The man seemed to be thinking about something, but Andy was in no mood for waiting.

"Listen, I don't have time for you to think about whatever. Tell me your name already. I'm Andy. That girl over there," He turned around and pointed to Emelot sitting on the counter, holding her bandaged wound and looking around idly. "That's Emelot."

He looked back at the young man, gesturing for him to introduce himself.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I'm Michael. I, uh, don't know how I got here, but I'd appreciate if you could untie me so we can-"

"Not yet. First, you need to tell me where you came from and what happened here with those two hellspawn."

Michael sighed, looking over at the body of the dead creature he had so fervently beaten to death not too long ago. Earlier, before he had tended to Michael's wounds, he went to take a look at the beaten foe on the floor.

Upon closer inspection, Andy noted the creature's milky white eyes and skin, as well as his abnormally elongated limbs, each of them easily over 4 feet in length. Its mouth, when opened, was lined with jagged teeth (fortunately unbloodied), and whose nose was of two small holes poked into the center of its face. Andy picked up one of its claw hands and decided to test the sharpness of it. He brought over a wool pad and, upon sliding the surface of it across one of the finger claws, found the wool pad to be almost completely torn apart. Its claws were incredibly sharp. Andy had decided to coin the creature as a Raker.

Andy shook his head, forgetting about the gruesome appearance of the creature, looking back at Michael.

"Look, I know this is going to sound a bit suspicious, but you gotta trust me when I say that I don't even know who I am. As for that fight over there-" He promptly jerked his head towards the dead monster. "-I was attacked by 'em when I entered this room."

Andy perked up as he said that.

"What room did you enter from?"

Michael looked over towards the end of the room opposite of the door Andy and Emelot had emerged from. Andy followed his gaze to a solid oak door at the end of the room. He walked over to it, pulling on the ring handle, to no effect of it opening. He growled in frustration, turning back and walking over to Michael.

"How the heck is it locked if you just came from there?"

Michael looked confused, looking back over at the door.

"Wha- I dunno. I just came from there."

"Then why is it-"

Andy halted his sentence, taking a breath. It wasn't getting them anywhere to continue this back-and-forth. He sat down in the chair once more, looking Michael up and down.

"So, Mike…"

Michael seemed slightly annoyed by Andy's assignment of a nickname to him.

"You really don't know who you are, or where you're from?"

Michael shook his head fervently.

"Not at all. I just woke up in that other room with these... _odd_ clothes on, and decided to venture into this room. Next thing I know, I'm getting jumped by the two schmucks from another planet."

Andy took a longer look at Michael, trying to get a good estimate of if the man was lying. He judged that he wasn't, and so nodded his head.

"Alrighty then, feller. Looks like we can trust you."

As Andy untied Michael, he explained his and Emelot's predicament, along with what he had seen as well.

"Good gravy, you saw some monsters as well? What the hell is this place…"

Michael stretched his arms and legs, looking over at the oak door and promptly walking over to it. Andy was perplexed by his action.

"What're you doin', bud? I just tried the door, it wouldn't-"

As soon as Michael pressed on the door, it creaked open. Andy was bamboozled by the event, running over to the door.

"Wha-how-huh-"

"Andy, you pulled on the door to try and open it, right?"

"Yeah."

"Did you try… _pushing_ it open?"

Andy made no comment. Behind him, he heard Emelot mumble,

"You suck, kid."  
"Emelot, you need to shut yer-"

Out of nowhere, plot intervened, and cries of help suddenly emitted from the other room. Andy and Michael looked at each other in alarm.

"Were there other people in the room you came from?"

"No! I never saw anyone else!"

As the cries were uttered once again, Andy and Michael barreled through, to find a room completely opposite of the one they came from. Expansive, clean, and below them were grass and plants. However, the room had a concrete ceiling about two stories up. Unlike the last room, this room was brightly lit with odd lighting that protruded from the walls in a bulbous form.

On the other side of the odd place, a family of four in tattered clothing were backed into a corner by one of the cow-beasts Andy had seen in the first room, shouting for help. Andy looked over at Michael, who was taking in the place as surprised as he was.

"What the hell...this is not the room I came from…"

"Mike, what do you mean?"

Michael turned his head over towards Andy, his eyes filled with apoplexy and creeping fear, his facial expression being one of confused fright.

"The room I came from was dark, damp, and small. This is nothing like that!"

Andy looked back at the family, readying the bloodied pipe he had picked up off the ground earlier as he gazed upon the cow-beast.

"What in tarnation is going on…?"

Michael looked over at Andy with disappointment.

"What kind of cliffhanger is that? You couldn't even add a cuss word in there or something, to spice up that suspense, like 'what the hell is going on' or something?"

Andy looked back at him with ire.

"Well I'm sorry that I think cursing is for those of low intelligence, how about you just let it end here and not break the immersion."

Emelot sidled into the crack of the open door from the previous room.

"There are still people that need to be saved, you know."

"How about you shut up, Em, because you can't help them regardless, so-"

"Wow, nice way to go, shithead, insulting your partner like that-"

 **Alright, I'm ending it here. I can't even have a proper f*ckin' chapter end because of you tools.**


	16. Chapter IV: Mistwood Forest

**Suggestion** \- While reading these chapters, put on ambience music that will help simulate the environment in the story. Such recommended channels are the 'Guild of Ambience', 'Sword Coast Soundscapes', 'Pandora Journey', and 'The Spirit of Orchestral Music'.

You may not realize it, but using such background ambience enhances your reading of the story over 10 times more.

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter IV: The Goatman**

"I'm already loving this town." Rulf mumbled in a sardonic manner.

After around 30 minutes of being in the guard's custody, Rulf was finally released after the guards cleared up the misunderstanding. Apparently, he was mistaken for a famed robber known as the 'Half-Off Heathen', a somewhat known yet odd bandit in the area that only took half of your belongings if he robbed you. In an ironic gesture of reciprocal feelings towards said bandit, the Dawnusk City Council decided to halve the bounty cost of the bandit, making his current bounty 500 pence instead of 1,000.

As Rulf was walking away from the town barracks, with Monika waving back at the guard whilst smiling, she noticed Rulf's tired expression.

"What's the problem, Rulf?" She asked in concern.

Rulf placed his index finger and thumb on the bridge of his nose, a sign of irritation.

"They supposedly mistook me for that bandit…"

"Yeah?"

"...Even though I am the...bandit."

Monika looked at him with utter surprise.

"You _are_ the Half-Off Heathen?"

Rulf rushed over to her, cupping his hand over her mouth, looking around frantically.

"Damn it, don't scream it out, Monika!" He warned in a hushed tone.

Monika waited till he slid his hand off her mouth, then spoke again, with a slight grin.

"Maybe I should turn you in for that bounty, huh?"

Rulf's eyes narrowed and flashed towards her in suspicion as she giggled, and he subconsciously took a couple steps away from her. She noticed it, her grin disappearing.

"You didn't...actually take me seriously, did you?"

"What? Uh...no. I just…whatever, let's get moving."

He turned away from her, walking at a brisk pace towards the nearest hardware store. Monika felt hurt by his distrust towards her, and was not sure why he acted that way. Unbeknownst to her, Rulf grew up being suspicious and distrustful of others, no matter how close they were. After all, he was nothing more than a glorified bandit in the eyes of the law, and he never knew when someone would try and actually turn him in if he revealed that about himself.

Nevertheless, Monika felt the need to gain Rulf's trust. She quickly ran over to accompany Rulf as he viewed the various materials at the hardware store front. He took a look her way, to which she smiled sweetly.

"I would never leave you, Rulf, much less give you up."

Rulf grunted, looking back at the selection.

A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.

"But seriously, who takes half a person's stuff? That just seems counterproductive."

"How 'bout you shut the fu-"

* * *

A couple hours later, in the evening, after having purchased all the materials necessary for repairing the cabin, Rulf and Monika decided to take a little break at one of the nice cafes in town, The Cuckoldry (Named after the owner's reputation for having his wife bed many men behind his back. It's still a sensitive subject to this day).

As they arrived upon the location, Rulf noted how in-the-middle the building was. Although the use of refined stone, which was expensive for most, composed the walls of the building, as well as a set of double doors manning the front entrance, the establishment was not grandiose, instead opting for a more medium-sized fit, though it did stand out from the normal brick-n-mortar or wattle-n-daub build of its neighbors.

Through one of the cafe windows, Rulf could see middle class citizens casually dining in the soothing ambience of the cool, orange light of the candles lit.

That's right. Middle class citizens. In towns as affluent and prosperous as Dawnusk, there was no longer a widened gap between the filthy rich and the poor. Capitalism was quite encouraged in towns such as these, and as businesses were able to open up and wages became competitive, the gap between the rich and poor started to fill with middle class citizens who could spend their hard-earned money on what they wanted.

Eventually, the lord of Dawnusk, Lord Simon, recognized how profitable this new economic phenomena was. He decided that to ensure that this type of economy was secured, he would impose a minimum wage upon all businesses, including government-run ones. Over time, other towns noticed Dawnusk's vast prosperity because of this and began adopting the same policies, which spread to other kingdoms and such. But enough about economics.

Rulf turned his head, taking a good, long look at Monika before making whatever decision he was coming to. She noticed him inspecting her and she smiled in that same, foxy way she always did. Rulf was unnerved by the smile. It was as if Monika knew something that Rulf didn't. Though, at the same time, he was also strangely allured by it.

He shook his head in frustration, angry that he was being charmed. A distrustful individual, Rulf never wanted to be at the mercy of someone else, be it mentally or physically, hence the reason why he found it a burden to make friends. Yet here he was, lugging around a whole pack of it in the form of a woman.

He stepped into the cafe, taking in the fine decor. The roof of the cafe was not too low, but not too high either. It worked in arches, which hopped from the pillars that stretched from the floor of the cafe to the roof. Wooden tables, both round and square, dotted the inside of the cafe, with their respective chairs and table decor accompanying them. Directly to the opposite side of the entrance to the cafe, windows took up the entire walls, with doors leading outwards to an large, extended balcony that overlooked the woods to the right of the town. As it was evening, only a couple people were still in the cafe, enjoying their meals and tea and sh*t. The bartender was stereotypically idly cleaning a glass mug with a small rag, looking over the cafe. Rulf, followed religiously by Monika, walked up to the bartender, sidling into one of the bar stools and placing his elbows on the counter, bent over as the average criminal would.

The bartender eyed Rulf, still rubbing the mug like an absolute unit.

"Whad'ya need?" He said simply, his deep voice perpetrating the almost resolute silence of the chill atmosphere.

"Just a water, please."

The bartender nodded, reaching below the counter to grab a hidden mug, then brought it up to one of the various taps lining the bar. Whilst he was making a drink, a man emerged from a door next to the bar, swaggering towards Rulf whilst beaming brightly.

"Rulf! Why, if it isn't-a my favorite criminal...ly awesome-a partner!" The man said, extending his sentence when he saw Rulf desperately making the cutting gesture along his neck for "DON'T SAY IT."

As he came up to the two, the first thing Monika noticed was his exquisite goatee, which was pointy, and his mustache, in which both ends curled slightly. He was quite pudgy and short, and he spoke with a distinct Venetian accent. His clothes, however, were of more humble garments. He wore a fine feather cap, as well as a grey leather outfit. He spoke with an extremely stereotypical Italian accent. His smile beamed as he looked her up and down.

"...And-a who would this-a beautiful maiden be, Rulf?"

"A friend."

The man was slightly put off by his short introduction, yet he recovered as he walked forward, taking her hand and bowing slightly.

"Well-a, what is your-a name, may I ask?"

"Monika, nice to meet you." She said smoothly, smiling in kind.

The man couldn't help but become enamored with the woman. She was much, MUCH more above standard than the other women in town. He was taken aback especially by her emerald-green eyes, which seemed to shift around softly in some sort of optical illusion. He released her hand, standing back up and bringing his hand to his chest.

"I am-a Vito Moreto, Venetan trader and avid lover of cozy ambiances. Such as-a this one." He said, waving his arms across the entirety of the cafe.

Monika was once more absolutely captivated with the place, as expected, but Rulf simply grunted, his eyes still darting around rapidly, analyzing the environment around him.

"Vito, you know what I am here for."

"Ah, right-a to the point, Rulf! One of the many reason I like you!"

He opened his arms, wrapping them around Rulf in a bro-hug. He leaned in to speak in Rulf's ear.

"You are-a _very_ lucky to have a woman like-a that. Don't-a screw it up now." He said, grinning.

Rulf blushed slightly, pushing Vito away and dusting himself off.

"Stop dickin' around, Vito." He muttered in a flustered tone.

Vito laughed raucously, placing his elbow on the counter and leaning against it.

"Anyways…" He turned his head to Monika, who had kept her attention on the whole ordeal. "Monika. Do you like the joint?"

She nodded. Though she wanted to gaze more upon the cafe, she focused her attention on Vito.

"Well, would you like to work here?"  
Monika's eyes widened in joy, and she began bouncing slightly as she grinned ecstatically.

"Can I? Can I?"

However, upon glancing over to see Rulf looking at her, she felt the need to restrain herself. She stopped bouncing, and placed her hands behind her back, once more smiling.

"Tog, you-a smile a lot-"

"I would _love_ to work here, Vito."

Vito grinned.

"Wonderful! Then-a go ahead and head to the back, you can-a get your proper waitress outfit on there. Also, you need to refer to me as 'Mr. Moreto' from now on."  
"Understood, _Mr. Moreto_." She said, beaming as she skipped to the back.

As she disappeared into the back, Vito turned his head back to Rulf, his eyes burning into him.

"You are-a _so damn lucky_ , Rulf."

"Just give her the fucking job, Vito."

* * *

Rulf came out of the cafe, waving to Vito as he exited, he looked down at his collected coin pouch, thinking about the conversation that had preceded his leave.

" _I'm-a glad you decided to have-a me give her a job, but out of-a pure curiosity, why my place?" Vito inquired. "With the beauty she has, you could-a_ easily _get her a higher-paying job at-a one of the higher districts, where the nobles reside. They'd pay just to have her serve at their galas and-a such. Maybe even more if you let them use her for...other things."_

 _Rulf shifted his eyes towards Vito, laying down his leather coin pouch as he momentarily ceased his coin-counting.  
_ " _Too much attention."_

And that's a horrible, scummy way to treat someone, _Rulf thought subconsciously. Yet he shook his head in frustration. He shouldn't care how someone is...treated..._

 _Vito nodded his head, satisfied with that answer._

" _Well then, I'll get to-a training the maiden."_

 _He was about to head off when he felt a hand grab his forearm aggressively. He turned around to see Rulf gripping it, staring at Vito with a steely gaze._

"Treat her with respect, Vito." _Rulf stated, enunciating each word heavily._

 _Vito began sweating slightly, laughing nervously as he tugged lightly against Rulf's hold in resistance, which was futile. His grip was unnaturally strong._

" **Vito.** "

 _Vito was becoming more and more frightened by Rulf's unwavering, harsh stare, as if he was being severely judged._

" _O-okay-a, yeah, of-a course, Rulf! She'll be-a treated with the-a utmost, uh, respect!"_

 _Rulf released Vito's forearm, which was now aching from the ironclad grasp. Vito nodded once more and scurried into the back. Rulf looked back towards the bartender, who was still looking downwards and rubbing the mug. Under the counter, he was about to reach for the long knife in the sheath attached to the underside of the counter, in case things had gone awry. He inwardly sighed as he was relieved he didn't have to shank a b*tch._

* * *

Rulf gripped the coin pouch tightly.

"He better keep 'is damn word."

"Malin, that f*cking rock on the side of the road probably has more sense than you, considering you _just_ brought us to the SAME DAMN ROAD AGAIN!"

"Huh? I swore that we were going down Havel Street earlier…"

Rulf looked up to see two chumps walking towards him, one being a small, frail-looking girl, the other a towering, monstrously strong-looking man in mercenary armor. His presence was so intimidating that Rulf, for a split-second, had instinctively felt a strong urge to make a break for it.

 _Great,_ Rulf thought to himself, _potential trouble. Just avoid contact and get on with your day-_

"Hey, maybe we can ask that shifty guy over there."  
 _Shit._

Rulf looked up in irritation, shoving his coin pouch into his pockets as the two walked over to him. As they came into closer view, Rulf subconsciously noted the odd attire the girl sported. It was some fabric that seemed to cover up only her chest, sleeves, and belly, and it looked much more pristine and smooth than any clothing Rulf had seen in his days. Her pants were also alarmingly odd, as they only extended to about her knees before they cut off. They were some mix between light blue and light green. Her shirt was…pink?

Something occurred to Rulf.

 _Is she...a noble?_

It would have made sense. Smooth, pristine clothing with dyes only the rich could afford. And, of course, an armored guard, maybe a knight, accompanying her. The only thing contradicting that idea is the scabbard hanging from a brown belt she was wearing.

When the two were finally upon him, the knight-looking schmuck, who was seemingly called Malin, stuck his hand out, flashing a dazzling smile.

"Nice to meet ya- wait, don't I know you from somewhere?"

Rulf was also put off by Malin, as he looked familiar, but Rulf couldn't identify who he was. He thought he would remember such a bear of a man.

"Yeah...I swear I've seen you before…"

The two stared at each other, both unsettled by the serious deja vu circulating in the atmosphere. After some moments, the girl stepped in, addressing the situation.

"Well...uh...we need, uh… help...with, eh, directions…" The girl muttered shyly.

Rulf looked down at her, distracted from his recollection. She sure didn't act like a princess, but then where did she get such refined garments?

"Uh...sir?"

Rulf shook his head, realizing he was staring at the girl, who blushed as he did so.

"Ah, uh, sorry to tell you, but I'm a visitor to this town. I dunno this area."

Natsuki sighed in disappointment. Malin nodded indifferently.

"Very well. We will go search for another passerby then."

As the two turned around, Rulf couldn't help but feel that there was something they didn't share with him.

"Hey, uh...what are you guys even looking for?"

Malin turned around, an immediate grin imposed upon his face.

"Weeeell…"

* * *

"Mistwood Forest? Sounds spooky."

From what the two had told him, they were taking on a request from the job board to go locate two tourists who had gone missing after entering the woods.

"Why aren't the local guards investigating this occurrence, though?"

Malin shrugged. "They probably didn't deem it to be important enough for their attention. After all, the most likely case is they just got lost in that forest."

Rulf nodded slowly. That would make sense. After all, only minor requests or jobs that required long-distance travel were posted on the job board, as the local city guards would handle any other problems. It was a quaint way for the average person to make good coin, though locals who frequented the board too much were regarded as unemployed job-hoppers.

Rulf thought about the prospect. Sure, he just got paid recently, but this looked like easy money. Find some lost tourists and get paid some more. Simple and easy.

"Alrighty then. Count me in."

"Yes!"

Malin pumped his fist. A steadfast merc-*cough* _hero_ , he was always determined to see a mission or task to its end. However, one prevalent discrepancy wriggled in his mind.

"Why do we need you, again?" The little girl asked, saying out loud what Malin was thinking.

Rulf grinned. "Unlike most people in this town, i'm willing to show you where Mistwood Forest is."

Malin's eyes widened as he was awed by Rulf's dramatic reveal, but the little girl was further confused by his statement.

"Wait, what? But I thought you didn't know about Mistwood Forest."

Rulf shook his head, clicking his tongue to make the 'tch-tch-tch' noise while wagging his finger.

"Listen, little girl-"

"It's _Natsuki_ , dipwad."

"-You _assumed_ that I didn't know what the forest was. I simply said it was spooky."

"Then why the hell did you wait to tell us?"

"I wanted to...see if you would offer something that was worth my time. If it's money we're talking about, then i'm happy to lend a hand."

Natsuki growled. "Motherfu-"

"Well regardless, good sir, I believe that we'll be glad to have you!" Malin interrupted, walking over and slapping Rulf on the back, who in response wheezed as he felt all of the air leave his body for a moment.

"Please don't do that again."

"Now let's get going!"

* * *

As the three walked across town, with Rulf as their tour guide, Natsuki noticed that Rulf seemed to be quite aversive around guards, town officials, and the occasional noble. She had a sneaking suspicion that if she asked Rulf about his occupation, she would get a bunch of stuttering and excuses. She really didn't care, though, if he was a criminal or not. She still had to get used to this world, after all.

 _And I don't think he'll try anything with this hulking giant next to me_ , She thought slyly, looking up at Malin, who was whistling as they followed Rulf.

"...about what happened at Mistwood Forest?"

Natsuki happened to catch part of a conversation that was happening a couple feet away, between two passerby.

"Yeah, that couple, right? Tog help them if they got lost _there_."

Natsuki felt traces of apprehension as the conversation went on.

"Do you think it was...the Goatman?"

"Don't evoke that name, Théodard! You could bring him upon us…"

"Sorry…"

"You know, I heard he could mimic people's voices."

"What?"

"Yeah. Apparently, two city guards had gone into the woods for a routine patrol, when one of them suddenly screamed over his Ceiver and then went silent. But a couple minutes later, the Ceiver came back on with the guard sounding like nothing happened. Apparently he said there was a disturbance further into the forest, but the first guard was so spooked he ran back to town to report the event. The second guard was never heard from again, supposedly."

"Tog, that is creepy."

The two noticed Natsuki listening in on their conversation, and fear shone in their eyes.

"Oh Tog, did she hear us?!"

"He must be possessing the body of a small child to find us, the ones who evoked his name!"

With that, the two men fled, whimpering in fear as they occasionally glanced back to see if Natsuki was still watching them. She sighed, wondering if all the citizens in this town were as paranoid.

"Natsuki! Come hither!"

Natsuki looked over towards Malin, who had noticed her absence by his side and called out to her. She took one more glance at the direction where the two men fled, then ran over, catching up to Malin and Rulf.

"What were you doing, straying from your comrades, Natsi?"

"Oh God, don't call me by that nickname again."

"Very well, Natsu."

"That name is copyrighted."

"What?"

"Listen, I've got a bad feeling about this task, Malin."

Malin's head tilted slightly in curiosity. "Why would that be?"

"Didn't you notice how, before we asked this guy, every other person we mentioned Mistwood Forest around had those scared expressions? And just a couple minutes ago, Rulf said 'Unlike other people, i'm willing to show you where Mistwood Forest is'?

"Of course."

"Doesn't that set off some alarm bells for you?"

Malin rubbed his chin with two fingers for a moment.

"No."

"What? Why?"

"Because i'm not afraid of what _they_ are."

Though the comment was a blatant display of Malin's overzealousness, Natsuki was a bit more emboldened by his words.

However, she was still confused as to why Rulf, whom she was sure was not as brave as Malin, was so willing to show them.

 _Eh,_ she thought. _He's showing us regardless, so who cares?_

After around 10 minutes or so, the trio had finally broken through the dense cluster of buildings, eventually arriving upon a small, sparsely-populated courtyard, with an arched bridge stretching over the river into the woods. Natsuki looked back to see that they had gone west from the front entrance of the town to this point. As she looked back and studied the forest ahead, however, she noticed a faint fog was pervading the trees, seeping out a small bit out onto clear ground before dissipating in the current.

 _Ah. Mistwood Forest. Got it._

"Aaaaall-righty, we're here. Mistwood Forest." Rulf proclaimed, turning around and sweeping one arm in the general direction of the trees.

"Wooow." Malin muttered, gazing upon the expanse of forest. However, Natsuki found his amazement to be meaningless. He probably would have given that same look if Rulf presented a rock in the same fashion.

"Cool. Let's get going."

Natsuki was about to continue into the forest when Rulf interrupted her.

"Woah, woah, woah!" He said, putting his hands up in signal to halt. "Wait just a second, little lady-"

"It's f*ckin' NATSUKI! Say my damn name!"

"-You can't just walk into the woods without a plan!"  
Natsuki was about to speak, but stopped. He was right. If they weren't careful, they could easily end up just as lost as the people they were trying to find.

"Alright. What's the plan?"

Rulf pointed up the incline of the hill over the bridge, which led up to a distant overhang of the massive river that ran through Dawnusk. On the overhang resided a decrepit-looking watchtower.

"We're going to that watchtower first, so we can find a good place to base while we look for the group. Hopefully, there will be some Ceivers there, seeing as it's a former watchtower, so we can more effectively communicate.

Once again, that word was said.

"What is that?" Natsuki asked.

"What?"

"A 'Ceiver'."

"Well, it's a type of magical device that allows people to talk to each other from long distances. It's pretty nifty, actually, and doesn't cost that much, considering it's a magical item. In fact, it's one of the most popular magical items because of its relative cheapness."

"So basically a radio."

"A...what?"

 _Sh*t, I forgot this world is different,_ Natsuki thought.

"Nevermind."

"Uh, okay...anyways, if there are Ceivers up there, then we can hopefully get this task done a lot quicker."

Malin and Natsuki nodded, clearly showing their understanding of the plan.

"Is the plan clear?"

Natsuki facepalmed.

"I'll take that as a yes. Now let's get moving. We got some lost souls to find."

* * *

5 minutes into the walk, Rulf was still mentally patting himself on the back for taking on this task. From what the other two told him, there was big money to be gained from this venture. Apparently, one of the two lost people was a descendant of a very wealthy noble in Dawnusk.

 _Man, this task was a walk in the park! I can't believe people are letting such a huge amount of coin go because of paranoia._

Unlike a lot of people in Hearth, Rulf, for whatever reason, was less believing of the scary stories and creepy rumors that circulated in the world. From supposed river monsters that drowned unaware passerby to monsters that lurked in abandoned buildings, Rulf was not so susceptible to banking on blind fear. He considered himself a realist when it came to such rumors, and the ones surrounding Mistwood Forest were no different to him. Sure, the mist was a little creepy, but it wasn't something to fear, necessarily.

All they had to do from this point was follow the trail up the hill to the overhang, which was a good bit more away, and they will have accomplished the first part of their task.

Meanwhile, Natsuki, having problem walking long distances, reluctantly took up Malin's offer to carry her on his shoulders. She grumbled as she was lifted up onto his shoulders, though secretly she enjoyed it, as she got a good view of the town across the river.

Oddly, she heard whispers and occasional rustling from the forestry around her, which put her nerves on edge.

"Something unsettling you, Natsuki?"

"N-No...Why do you ask?"

"I can feel you shivering."

Natsuki's cheeks reddened as she stuttered for excuses.

"Y-You perv! D-don't say that! D-dummy!"

"Why are you flustered?"

Natsuki fell into silence, still embarrassed from his comment.

"It is not bad to be afraid, Natsuki. But do not show your fear openly, lest you want to aid your enemy in confidence."

 _No shit, sherlock,_ Natsuki thought. However, his words were a comfort to her.

"Take comfort in the fact that, at least, it is not nighttime."

Right as he said this, the already-setting sun disappeared over the trees, letting darkness pervade the entire valley.

"Well, now I could understand if you are afraid."

 _This man…_

Natsuki sighed. Hopefully, the future would not hold more unpleasant missions like this. Little did she know…

* * *

"Oh Tog. fina-f*ckin-ly!" Rulf shouted in exasperation, resting his hands on his knees as he took the abandoned watchtower in view. Surprisingly, it was not as derelict as he imagined. The structure looked fine, with a single door leading up to an opening at the top of the brick structure, which was surrounded by fencing and an overhead slanted roof.

"I'll go have a view from up there. Malin, Natsuki, you guys wait down here."

Malin and Natsuki nodded.

"Did you guys get that-"

"Get the f*ck up there."

Rulf turned around and opened the door, beginning his climb up the ladder. Meanwhile, Natsuki scanned the landscape, unsheathing her seax in her left hand and arming herself with a buckler shield. Though she still wasn't fully adept nor strong enough to wield the short sword too well, she felt she had a good chance at being able to stab whatever came close to her. Malin unsheathed a bastard sword in his right hand and armed himself with a heater shield on his left hand. Natsuki felt like an ant, seeing Malin readying for combat like that.

Malin noticed Natsuki was staring at him and smiled.

"Though untrained you may be, Natsuki, don't forget that you are also a warrior."

Natsuki nodded, looking back to the forest. It was an almost futile effort to see beyond the clearing, though, as the night cloaked everything within it.

"Hey, guys."

Malin and Natsuki looked up to Rulf, who had shouted to them from the top of the watchtower. Natsuki could vaguely see two odd-looking devices in his hands.

"I found two of the Ceivers. I'll drop one down to you."

"Got it." Malin shouted back. Natsuki saw Rulf let go of the Ceiver, and a couple seconds later Malin caught it with one hand. Natsuki noticed that the Ceiver had a very similar shape to the radio.

" _Can you hear me? Hello?"_

Rulf's voice came through the Ceiver, much to Malin's surprise.

"Woah, that's cool! I can hear you through this device, Rulf!"

" _You don't say."_

"However, you sound kind of weird."

" _Probably the Ceiver."_

"Alright, we are going to head into the forest. If we should get lost, please signal us from the top."

" _Wait...how did you know I was planning on signaling you?"_

"What else were you going to do to get our attention?"

Natsuki, who was used to Malin being blatantly stupid at all times, was thrown off by his observant remark.

" _Eh...Okay. Anyways, the signal will be by sound. There's a horn attached to the railing of this watchtower, so just trace the sound to its source. By the way, if anything happens to somehow go wrong, I will blow the horn as well. However, this should be an open-and-shut case, so the only reason I should be blowing this horn is if you get lost when you find the couple."_

Natsuki nodded, interested by the prospect of sound guiding them back.

"Sounds good-"

" _Which you most assuredly will."_

Natsuki sighed.

"Okay, that's great-"

" _Seriously, that forest is huge."_

"Awesome, now we're gonna get goi-"

" _From my view, the forest just quadruples in size-"_

"RULF! SHUT THE F*CK UP! WE'RE GOING!"

Before realizing it, Natsuki had swiped the Ceiver from Malin's hand and screamed into it. After the message, the Ceiver had gone silent for a moment.

" _...What an asshole."_

* * *

15 minutes into the walk, and Natsuki's nerves were already more on edge than the Persians in _300_. As they headed deeper into the woods, the noises of the forest became more... _sinister_.

Branches snapped. Crows cawed. Bushes rustled. The moonlight blanketed the extent of the forest with a harshly bright aura, shooting rays of dim light through the dense treetop. A light wind blew through the forest, whistling in Natsuki's ears, shaking the forestry around them every so slightly, so that Natsuki couldn't discern if the wind was moving through the bushes, or if it was…

 _Something else._

"Keep on the lookout, Natsuki. I am not fond of this…atmosphere."

"Me neither."

A couple moments of silence passed as the two kept on guard, their swords at the ready to fight any unseen foe that wanted to get the jump on them.

However, unbeknownst to them, there was an even worse threat they could possibly imagine, lurking in the shadows…

… _Haha...aahaha…..hahaha..._

Faintly, Natsuki could hear sounds coming from her right.

"What's that noise?"

"It sounds like...laughing…"

Natsuki felt chills run down her back. Now that Malin had said that, the noises did seem to mirror that of belated laughter.

"Let's check it out." Was Malin's first response, one to which Natsuki was immediately horrified by the prospect of.

"What the hell? Are you crazy?!"

"It could be them, Natsuki. What if we risked not investigating just because we were a little intimidated by the creepy noises?"

Natsuki groaned inwardly, reluctant to pursue the sounds. However, she decided they might as well.

"Fine. Let's go investigate then…"

"Sounds good. And do not worry, Natsuki. After all, they could just be enjoying themselves at a nice picnic."

* * *

"Buh-doo-bi-doo…la-di-da-di-da...slob on me knob…"

Rulf never imagined that, with all the unwanted action he had in his life, the most boring moment would be watching over a creepy forest at night. He was hoping there would be some scary occurrence that could really spice up his day-

"Wait no!"

He lightly knocked his knuckles against his forehead.

 _You don't believe in these stupid rumors,_ He thought to himself. He was getting a bit annoyed at himself for giving in a bit to such ridiculous myths.

"... _Hello?...Hello, is anyone there?..."_

Out of nowhere, a voice emitted from his Ceiver. It was not the little girl nor Malin, so Rulf was a bit taken aback when the message came through at first. However, he regained his composure and picked up the Ceiver, speaking into it.

"Who dis?"

" _...Oh thank Tog!...I've been stranded in this...forest...with my lover!...We need…help…"_

 _Yes! It must be the two who got lost,_ Rulf thought. Though he was a bit put off by the pauses in the person's sentence, as well as his rather belated answer, despite the circumstances the person was in, he responded.

"Oh, damn, is that you guys? Great! Well, i've got good news for you, buddy! I've got a team of two looking through the forest for you guys. This'll be much easier since you guys just contacted us directly. Listen up: I'll be blowing through this horn thingy, and you guys just trace the sound back to the source. You'll find a rather dilapidated but tall watchtower on an overhang of Dawnusk."

After that short rant, Rulf was expecting something along the lines of 'Alright, we'll be on our way!'. However, he instead received at least a minute of complete silence from the other end. Then finally a response:

" _Where is...the other two…?"_

Rulf was once again disturbed by the pauses and, this time, unemotional tone behind the question. It was as if the person was reciting lines from a script.

"Well, uh, to be honest...I dunno. But they're searching in the forest, and they have a Ceiver as well, so they should be hearing this conversation as well. I'm sure they're making their way back to the-"

 _REEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!_

Before Rulf could get another word out, a high-pitched feral scream blasted from the Ceiver before cutting off completely. Rulf was bewildered by the terrifying sound, and took a few moments before talking into the Ceiver.  
"He-hello? Are you okay? That sounded pretty f*cking bad…"

No response. Rulf was on edge after that instance, and looking out into the landscape, he noticed a haphazard gathering of trees rustling, as if something big was running through the forest, heading in a certain direction…

Rulf was trying to gather his thoughts. For some reason, Natsuki and Malin weren't saying a word through the Ceiver. Either that meant that they had dropped it, or…  
 _Stop it,_ Rulf chided himself. There's no way somebody like Malin could go down, even if he were facing Satchan himself.

No, it must have been something else about the Ceivers. From what Rulf knew about them, he recalled that the less expensive Ceivers had an open communication line with any other Ceiver within a large radius. Though there were Ceivers with specifically-designated channels that only those Ceivers could communicate through, those costed a lot more, as there was more magic required in creating such channels.

However, Rulf tested the Ceiver with Malin and Natsuki on both ends before the exploration, so there would be no way those Ceivers could be specifically-designated channels…

 _I'm getting a bad feeling about this,_ Rulf thought. Though he was unbelieving of petty rumors, he was also a cautious, wary individual who was not one to test the boundaries of suspicious or tense circumstances for the sake of clarification. If something looked like it would go south, he would do everything to avoid it.

 _The best thing to do here is to blow the horn. It would be better if they return now and have this be a misunderstanding than whatever other outcomes might come from this…_

"Alrighty then, time to blow the horn."

Rulf grabbed the device with both hands and blew into it.

* * *

The couple was not enjoying a picnic.

Natsuki was absolutely horrified about what was before her. The chatter from the Ceiver, though she heard it clearly, failed to take her attention away from the horrible sight that laid in front of her, on the ground.

The dead body of a young man was lain on the grass below, though it was barely recognizable. It looked to have been half eaten, as the poor victim's guts were strewn about the scene, blood painting the ground around him like a landscape. Parts of his face, chest, stomach, legs, and feet were chewn off, leaving bloody messes behind. Further beyond the body, a couple feet away, a girl was on her knees, staring at the bloody mess, laughing belatedly. The dark red liquid was splattered all over her dress and face, giving her a sinister look as she continued to gaze upon the dreadful scene with an empty expression.

"Haha…ahahaha…hahaha…"

Natsuki was panicking massively, shaking in her boots.

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod."

Malin, on the other hand, had immediately rushed over to the lady, checking on her whilst keeping his sword and shield at the ready, more alert than ever. He looked over to see Natsuki quivering.

"Natsuki! Focus! This isn't the time to panic! Call Rulf on the Ceiver and tell him we need to get out of here right now!"

Natsuki managed to snap out of it and, though still shaking, unclasped it from her leather belt. Her unsettled mind caused her to drop the Ceiver by accident.

"Sh*t!"

She got down, picking it up. Every second she wasted was nerve-wracking, afraid that any second now, the monster that had chewed up the poor fellow on the floor would jump her too.

Finally, she brought the Ceiver to her mouth, and was about to shout into it when she heard the horn bellow to her Southeast. She looked back, the sound now becoming more clear as she centered in on the source.

"I hear it!"

"Good, now put that Ceiver away and get ready to haul ass!"

Malin, unfortunately, had not been able to get to the girl on the floor, who seemed to be in an unstable mental state. She looked over at Malin, but didn't seem to register him. She stopped laughing, and her eyes glazed over. Malin decided that the best course of action was to get out of dodge, and he would just pick up the woman so they could get moving. However, before he could do so, the girl screamed as she focused on something behind Malin.

Malin looked behind him to see a dark figure looming over him, preparing to attack. Malin managed to bring his shield up just in time to take an extremely heavy hit to the front. He almost buckled under the pressure, which said a lot from someone as huge as Malin. As the adrenaline of combat kicked in, Malin felt strength flow into his body, and with a battle-charged yell, he managed to push off the overbearing pressure from the unknown attacker. He heard a deafening screech, then the retreating of footsteps.

"Malin, it's running away! Let's get the f*ck out of here while we have the chance!"

Though it pained Malin to let whatever _thing_ had attacked him get away, he realized there were more important matters at stake. Sheathing his shield and sword, he picked up the girl with one arm and the body with his other, and began running towards the noise of the horn.

"Let's go!"

Natsuki squealed in fear as she saw him making a dash for the horn, and began to follow close behind.

"Don't leave me behind like that, please! And why are you bringing the body?!"

"So this poor fellow's family can bury him!"

Natsuki had nothing to say to that. She was too busy focused on watching their backs every five seconds. She swore she saw something malevolent flash by from behind her, and she doubled her running speed.

"Let's get the hell out of here!"

* * *

Rulf was beginning to become worried. It had been around 5 minutes since he had blown the horn, and the only thing he had heard during that time was another terrifying screech from within the forest. Though he was at the top of a watchtower, and had sights on every direction around him, he had his dagger drawn just in case.

Finally, after another minute or so, he saw Natsuki and Malin break the treeline, making a beeline for the watch tower. He saw something in Malin's arms, and they certainly did not look like weapons. He used this opportunity to talk to them on the Ceiver.

"Hey! What the Hekk happened up there? I heard screeching two times, and you guys-"

"OH MY F*CKING GOD RULF ONE OF THEM IS DEAD PLEASE GET DOWN HERE NOW WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE TOWN RIGHT NOW!"

"Woah, sh*t, now hold on! What happened-"

"GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW SO WE CAN GO BACK TO TOWN, NOW!"

Rulf decided not to question her demands any more and began heading down. Once he got to the bottom, right off the bat he noticed Malin carrying two people in his arms, one of them horribly mutilated.

"Holy sh*t in a sack, what in Tog's name happened here-"

"RUN!" Natsuki shouted, making a bolt down the hill to the bridge that crossed over to Dawnusk.

"Run, why?-"

He heard another screech emit from behind him, and looked over to see a dark figure reside behind the trees, its red eyes shining menacingly behind the cover of the treeline. Within one second, Rulf had gone from a realist to a stark believer in all of those rumors of the forest.

He immediately sprinted for the bridge, Malin following closely behind, as the terrifying presence of whatever had been stalking them howled one last time into the night sky.

* * *

 _9 hours later…_

Rulf sighed, looking into his mug of ale. He had not been able to get an inch of sleep from the night before.

10 minutes after the trio had gotten down the hill and into the town, Malin had went straight to the authorities to report to them about the situation at the forest. His story to the guards would have sounded ridiculous if it wasn't for the dead body he had been hauling, which he dropped in front of them, much to their dismay. They decided to launch a big investigation into the event, temporarily closing off the bridge to Mistwood Forest and warning civilians against entering the forest if they valued their own safety. Meanwhile, the local populace had gone into a craze, as the normal, day-to-day talk evolved into constant chatter about the confirmed rumor of the perceived 'Goatman' who had eviscerated the victim in the first place.  
The only good thing that had come out of the whole mess, besides preventing future citizens from becoming victims of the monster's attacks, was the massive payout from the noble. The woman that Malin had found at the forest was the noble's daughter, and after relieved sobbing over his daughter and several thanks to Malin, he quadrupled the cash prize from the board and gave it to Malin, saying that he more than deserved it after saving his daughter from a cruel fate.

Malin decided that at least 70% of this insane amount of money would go to Rulf, who he claimed had 'saved their posteriors from certain peril'.

Though Rulf should have been ecstatic about this turn of events, especially the part where he got a great insert of cash, he was sure the entire venture was not worth the money, even as big as it was.

"For Tog's sake, I almost ended up as the next meal for that horrifying monster!" Rulf said out loud to himself. After the event, Rulf didn't even have the energy to bring the money to stash back in the cabin, instead opting to just haul it with him back to the Cuckoldry cafe, taking a seat at the balcony, his bags of money laying on one side of the table while his meal laid on the other side.

"Hello, Rulf…"

 _Tog-damnit, now this wench,_ Rulf thought, feeling Monika slide her hands across his shoulders.

Of course, Monika had also heard about the event and had almost had a panic attack thinking about Rulf potentially dying. When he had entered the cafe, he was immediately tackled by her as she sobbed in relief from seeing him.

Now, she wouldn't leave for even 2 minutes without checking up on him.

"Is the meal good? Do you like the view? Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's all fine, now can you please leave me in peace? I'm trying to relieve stress."

Monika gave a sly smile, leaning down and whispering into his ear.

" _I can help you relieve stress in a different way, if you'd like."_

Rulf's cheeks flamed up, totally unexpecting of such a crude suggestion.

"Tog, y-you indecent w-woman! G-go away, already!"

Monika, still with the sly smile on her face, receded back to the door of the indoors part of the cafe, pressing her hand against the side of the door as she slid her hand down the length of it seductively.

"Alright, fine, Rulf. I'll go. But I do want you to know that...I'm grateful for you, and everything you've done for me."

She smiled once more, then finally slid back into the cafe.

"Tog, that woman is so random…" Rulf mumbled, looking back out at the view.

Even after the events that had just occurred, the city still bustled with activity, unchanging in its course. The sun rose in the distance, halfway up the horizon, throwing a warm, orange hue over the landscape before it. Small clusters of birds flew by in the distance, below the patches of clouds that cruised slowly across the blue sky. Rulf could vaguely hear the torrenting of the massive river that cascaded down the landscape.

For some reason, completely unbeknownst to him, Rulf was beginning to better appreciate the beautiful world he lived in.


	17. Chapter V: The Trader & The Festival

**Suggestion** \- While reading these chapters, put on ambience music that will help simulate the environment in the story. Such recommended channels are the 'Guild of Ambience', 'Sword Coast Soundscapes', 'Pandora Journey', and 'The Spirit of Orchestral Music'.

You may not realize it, but using such background ambience enhances your reading of the story over 10 times more.

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter V: The Trader / A Joyous Festival**

After three days of hard mental work, Sayori was beginning to grow exhausted of the labor of learning. Wesley had made her absorb so much content in regards to training, she was sure that if she threw up, the only things that would come out would be varying market prices and potential trade routes.

"Sayori! Come on! We got a big day today!"

 _You said that the last two days,_ Sayori thought morosely.

Yet she complied, groggily dragging herself up from bed as she dreaded having to learn more about the regional marketplace. She began to put her clothes on when Wesley popped his head in through the door, beaming a smile at her.

"Wesley!" She shielded her chest in embarrassment. He didn't seem to care.

"Come on, now! We have to get going!" He said, not a hint of shame on his face, then disappeared out of sight. Sayori sighed in exasperation.

 ** _GET GOING!_**

Sayori jumped, yelping fright as her subconscious prodded her to get the damn plot moving. She quickly put on her clothes and began making her way out of the room.

* * *

"Ugggh…" Sayori groaned quietly as the light of day shined harshly, her eyes having not yet adjusted to the morning light. As her eyes began to adjust, however, she almost gasped at the beautiful rising sun to the east. It's red-orange haze basked the landscape in a warm light, which washed over Sayori. She sighed, deriving absolute pleasure from this as she thought about the hell that was her previous world…

 _Monika…_

She frowned in anger as she thought back to how she acted when she had first met Monika in this world. While the bitch had went on a rant and attacked her, Sayori herself had just...taken it. She shook her head, clearing her mind of the dreadful individual.

"Sayori, seriously."

Sayori looked down the road to see Wesley standing a few feet away, a satchel slung over his shoulder. He had on the normal trader outfit as when she had first met him.  
"I'm glad you're...basking in the light, but trade doesn't halt for sightseeing."

It was at this point that he grinned, rubbing his index and middle finger against his thumb.

"We gotta make that dough."

Sayori giggled slightly. Ever since she had first met him, he had always been so clever and charismatic. It was great being around such a positive force, and definitely served to suppress her...problem. However, she felt he had something to hide…

"Coming!" She said, skipping down the hill.

"That's what she said."

"What?"

"So listen, we gotta get onto the discussion of _politics_ around this town, and how the monetary system we have has a hand in that."

Sayori nodded her head, ready to learn.

"First off-" Wesley directed his pointer finger up the cascade of rocks, to the second level of Dawnusk. "-You know what sector that is, right?"

"Commercial and industrial." Sayori said, recalling her memory.

"Correct. Believe it or not, that hasn't always been a part of this town. It was only recently (in terms of history), only about a decade ago that Pacitalism was introduced. And what's Pacitalism? Just testing your memory."

"It's the trade of goods and services from the industries to the customers, who in turn provide labor and resources for the industries themselves."

"Yuh, once again you nailed it. You know, you got _quite_ the memory there, Sayori."

Sayori smiled. Despite how painful it was to indulge in economics for days on end, it was also eye-opening. It was quite extraordinary to her how this world had managed to grasp the concept of Capitalism (or rather, _Pacitalism_ ) at the Medieval Era.

"So, I have a couple questions."

Wesley nodded as they walked down the road to the market.

"First off, how is there not a massive income gap between the peasants and the nobility? I would have expected that, considering this is the Medie-"

She stopped herself at the last second. Though she had told Wesley she had come from another place that was not of this world, she didn't want to tell him or anybody else anything about future endeavors. Who knew what kind of trouble she could cause by spouting about phones, cars, and other future tech?

Wesley, noticed her halted speech, but decided to simply answer the question.

"Well, since Pacitalism was introduced, wages became competitive so that good industries had to pay their workers well if they wanted to attract labor. These wages in turn created a consumer society of this town and others, and it led to the development of a middle class. This prompted a creation of consumer products, such as better housing, furniture, food places, and other stuff."

As the two continued to chat about economics, Sayori overhead a conversation from a group of people.

"Hey guys, did ya hear about Winsel? Apparently some group of terrorists killed half the town guard, then raided the town with the help of -get this- _cats_."

She could hear the group mutter in surprise.

"Jack, you must be pulling my penis." One groupie responded. Sayori wasn't sure that phrase was the correct one.

"Uh...you mean your leg? Eh, anyways, yeah. Apparently they got smarter or something and led a cat revolution with the help of those terrorists. Now Winsel's lookin' like sh*t."

By this time, Sayori was too far out of earshot to hear the rest of the conversation, but she had heard enough.

"Cat revolutions…" She muttered to herself. This world was truly an interesting one.

"Alright, help me set up shop here-" Wesley pointed to a rather sizable wooden stall. "-And we can get to makin' that coin."

Sayori nodded, unslinging the large rucksack she had slung on her shoulder and setting it down. She opened up the front of the bag and took out an assortment of items.

"We got a long day ahead of us, so get ready."

* * *

"That was a long-ass day…" Sayori groaned, slumping against the front counter of the stall. Wesley, as usual, looked chipper, as if he hadn't wasted an inkling of energy.

"You'll get used to it." He said, opening the large brown coin bag he had in his hands and pouring them on a side counter, counting the coins.

"...10 shillings, 5 tence, 4 fence, and 126 pence. Pretty damn good haul for today, overall."

As she was packing up the shop, Sayori lifted her head and turned to Wesley, a perplexed look on her face.

"Tence? Fence? What is that?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you this. Basically, if a person wants to save space in their coin bags, or time while spending and trading, they would convert 5 pence into a five-pence coin, or a fence. Same with a ten-pence coin, or a tence."

 _So it's like nickels and dimes…_ Sayori thought subconsciously.

"Very interesting."

"Oh, and let's go over the conversion prices one more time. What are the four different types of coins in the Danforth System, besides the ones I just told you about now?"

Sayori took a moment to recall her memory.

"Pence, shillings, pounds, and crowns."

"And how much is each worth to the next?"

"20 pence per shilling, 50 shillings per pound, and 100 pounds per crown."

"How much is the average ax worth?"

"About...25 pence."

"And what's the other phrase for pence?"

"Denarius."

"Exactly."

Wesley brought up an income-tracking sheet to Sayori, who took it and eyed it over.

* * *

 _Monthly Income Report_

 _12p - Trade routes & shipment profits_

 _83s - Trade shipments, Stall & Roadside profits_

 _562d - Stall & Roadside profits_

 _Expense Report_

 _15s - Royalty Tax_

 _148d - Meals & Shopping expenditure_

 _Net Earnings_

 _\+ 12p_

 _\+ 68s_

 _\+ 412d_

* * *

"Wow, that's a pretty neat report. Seems a bit...lacking, though."

Wesley nodded a bit.

"Well, this is a basic report. This is just something to keep track of my budget, really. And besides, I'm not a big trader as of right now, so there's not too much to fill out in forms otherwise."

Sayori took a moment as she looked over the form, rubbing her chin.

"Also, the net earnings for your pence is wrong. It should be 414."

Wesley looked down at the report in surprise, then grinned.

"Well done, Sayori. It's not often I make such mistakes."

Wesley blew through his mouth as he folded the parchment in half and stuffed it in his satchel.

"Anyways, i'm getting tired of talking about economics for now. Wanna go get something to eat?"

At the thought of eating, Sayori's stomach growled. She looked up, a bit embarrassed. Wesley simply blew nose out of his nose harder than usual, mused by the occurrence.

"I'm guessing that's a yes. Let's get going, then. By the way, the King's Day Festival is in two days…"

The two went back up the road, heading to go find a good food place to dine. As they continued down the path, Sayori could help but break a smile as she looked out over the horizon, seeing the setting sun.

To her, this place was amazing.

* * *

"RULF!"

"HOLY F*CK!"

Upon looking up at Monika's smiling face, he groaned loudly as his alert instincts receded, and he fell back down against the bed. For the past couple of days, he and Monika had spent their hard-earned dinero on refurbishing the cabin. They had fixed and cleaned the windows, patched the holes in the ceiling and walls, reinforced the front door, and gotten better furniture. With the money he had, Rulf had even been able to buy a second bed for Monika, so that she would no longer have an excuse for crawling into his bed and making it ten times harder for him to go to sleep. She complained of this very loudly, stating that she did not need another bed. Rulf chose to ignore her advice on this one.

However, the benefits of a more comfortable bed on his part were also a curse. Now, whenever he woke up, it was two times as harder to get out of the comfy bed. Today was one of those days.

Without respite, Monika began to pull on one of his arms, smiling brightly.

"Come on, Rulf! Today's the King's Day! We gotta go to the festival!"

"Togdamnit, woman, why…"

The King's Day. To many in Brimmen, this was an extremely special occasion that occurred once a year in honor of the great King Brommel of Brimmen (alliteration, amirite). He was considered a great ruler, ever since his implementation of Pacitalism, along with his kind yet just nature. He was a great, balanced-out king that led a very prosperous kingdom.

Rulf, however, couldn't give less of a f*ck. Having spent his entire childhood pickpocketing and hunting, surviving only by his own will, he knew nothing of loyalty to the king. On the other hand, however, he didn't particularly despise him, either. To Rulf, he simply ran the kingdom.

Even worse, Monika wanted to bring him out to a festival full of _people_. If there was one thing that Rulf wanted to avoid absolutely, it was gaining attention. A bandit not known was a successful bandit. So, of course, it was plenty reasonable for Rulf to not want to go-

"Rulf, come ooooooooon, please!"

"Why did I have to be the one to discover your ass, Monika…"

Monika stopped pulling for a moment, and Rulf sighed in relief. Finally, she had given up on-

"You...want a piece?"

Rulf's eyes opened, and he looked over at her in confusion.

"W-what?"

Monika smiled lecherously.

"You want a piece...of my…"

Rulf's cheeks flamed up as he realized what she was talking about.

"T-Tog, you perverted woman! N-no!"

"You sure?"

Rulf began to back up against the wall behind him as Monika crept onto the bed, smiling sweetly at Rulf as she got close to him, her face inches away from his.

"I wouldn't mind doing it right now, Rulf…"

"G-get off me, already!"

Rulf put his hands on her arms, but before he could attempt to push her off, she cooed.

"I didn't know you were so forward, Rulf…"

 _This is too much_ , Rulf thought.

He slid through the opening between her arm and torso onto the floor below, then snaked away a couple feet before getting up. She looked at him, disappointment in her eyes.

"Fine, damn it! If you'll stop being such a harlot, i'll go to the stupid f*cking festival with you."

Monika's eyes and smile lit up brightly as she heard him say that.

"Thank you, Rulf! I can't wait...but…"

She brought a finger up, pointing at his attire.

"You're not gonna wear that...are you?"

Rulf looked down at his attire. It was dirtied and worn from years of weathering and travel. However, he was so used to it that he saw nothing wrong with the fit.

"What? What's wrong with it? I think it's just fine. Speaking of which, how do you look so clean and tidy?"

From what Rulf noticed, she was indeed very tidy and clean. Her hair looked freshly combed, and there was no dirt or muck on her. She smiled.

"Well, I have to look good for my love, don't I? I used some of my money to go buy some personal...cosmetics. I had Nigel help me out, as well."

Rulf turned his head in confusion.

"Nigel?"

Monika got up and pointed out the window at the pond. Rulf walked over and peered out. A couple feet away, in front of the pond was the duck. It looked back at him, and Rulf got the feeling that it was smirking.

"Why is that damn thing still here?! I thought I scared it off days ago!"

Rulf frowned slightly.

"That's not very cash money of you, my love. It's just a duck-"

"First off, I don't know what the hell you just said in that first statement, and second, that _duck_ has been a pain in the ass for the last week that we've been here!"

He sighed, placing his index finger and thumb on the bridge of his nose, rubbing it slightly in annoyance. He looked back up to look at the duck. He could read its eyes, even from the distance he was at.

 _Bitch_ , the eyes said.

"THAT'S IT! WE'RE HAVING DUCK STEW FOR F*CKING DINNER!"

* * *

Unfortunately for Rulf, they did not actually have duck stew for dinner. Instead, Rulf was dragged by Monika to the festival in Dawnusk. She had spent time cleaning and tidying him up for the occasion, much to his chagrin.

"We better stay to the sides the whole time...I'm not risking jail time for some damn festivities…"  
"Oh, come on, my love, cheer up! We're gonna have great time."

After a dozen minutes or so, they had arrived in town. Monika gasped at the sheer amount of people gathered in the streets. She was surprised to see so many individuals in one place. The tight space of being in a crowd was a new feeling to her, and a wonderful one. She shuddered as she scooted in between people, much to their discomfort from hearing the sound that came out of her mouth.

Luckily, the crowd thinned out as they got into the middle of town, which was to be expected. Though the town was pretty big, this was still a medieval era, and population in general was expected to be very low worldwide.

As Monika reached an open field in the center of the first-layer town, she gasped in amazement as she saw people dancing in the middle of the field to the beat of the music. Off to the corner, Monika could see a band playing all sorts of different musical instruments, almost none of which she could recognize. Regardless, however, she was loving the music.

"Alright, I think we might want to head over to the edge of town so we can get a bit more peace and- waAAAAIT, NOO!"

Rulf protested as she dragged him into the field, then brought his hands up and began to dance with him. He stumbled around, trying to get out of the field, as onlookers were watching them. However, Monika's grip on his arms was like iron, and he couldn't budge at all. After a few moments, he resigned himself to his fate. As she continued to dance, he tried, and failed, at attempting to match her in dancing.

"My love, do you know how to dance?"

"Shut up. And don't call me your 'love'."

Of course, Monika ignored him and continued on.

"I would be glad to teach you."

Rulf looked up into her eyes, and once again he was taken in by them, staring into her emerald-green eyes for a long time. As she continued to dance, she instructed him on where to place his feet, how to move them, and to keep in time with the tempo. This took a bit, and eventually most onlookers grew bored and moved to other parts of the festival, until it was just Monika and Rulf in the middle of the field.

By the end of it, though Rulf was still a bit rough on dancing, he had gotten a hold of it pretty well. He grinned as he looked down at his feet, which moved around in tune with the band.

"This is pretty cool…"

After a few more minutes of it, Rulf and Monika grew fatigued from the constant dancing. They finally settled down, much to the band's relief. The band members sat at a nearby bench, where plenty of ale and food was in waiting for them.

Meanwhile, Rulf and Monika spent the rest of their time cruising around town, exploring the expanse of the festival. For hours, the two had loads of fun together.

Finally, evening set in, yet the crowds did not disperse. Many people loved to spend hours into the night partying, mingling, and doing other...activities. Often, many young lads were often chased by the young maidens' mothers and fathers, who threatened death upon them, for deflowering their daughters.

Rulf, who had just spent some coin on food at the Cuckoldry, brought out the wooden discs with food atop out to the balcony view, setting a plate on one side of the table, his own plate on his side. He sighed as he settled down in his chair, and was about to dig in when he noticed Monika staring out at across the city, her fingers tapping her cheek in thought as she rested her elbow on the railing.

"Monika? You gonna come eat?"

"Of course, Rulf. I'm just...thinking…"

Rulf set down his utensils and spent a moment gazing at Monika. He then got up from his chair and walked over to her, setting himself on the railing beside her, looking out at the horizon. The two spent a few minutes in silence, looking out over the landscape.

To Rulf's surprise, everything seemed much more...vibrant. He noticed the bustling of the crowds below, the clouds that drifted above so calmly, the moon as it bathed the land in a milky white light.

Throughout his entire life, the thought of sightseeing had not even crossed his mind. However, now, in this moment, it suddenly seemed so...soothing. He glanced over at Monika, who was looking over the landscape, an expression of complete bliss on her face. He directed his wandering gaze back to the view.

Maybe he couldn't appreciate what he had until he had met Monika...either way, he wasn't sure, but one thing he knew, in this moment...

He was happy to be alive.

* * *

 **Author Notes:**

\- My consistency is garbage. I know that. But alas, do not worry gamers, because I'm bringing back that consistency to this series. **Thus, I plan to have at least 1 chapter out per week MINIMUM, if not more.**

Other than that, I hope you continue to enjoy the chapters! Stay tuned for more medieval fantasy adventures!


	18. Chapter VI: The Hero & The Dragon

**Suggestion** \- While reading these chapters, put on ambience music that will help simulate the environment in the story. Such recommended channels are the 'Guild of Ambience', 'Sword Coast Soundscapes', 'Pandora Journey', and 'The Spirit of Orchestral Music'.

You may not realize it, but using such background ambience enhances your reading of the story over 10 times more.

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter VI: The Hero / The Dragon**

"Hey, dipwad, you went the wrong way AGAIN!"

Natsuki raised her voice on the last word to try and get that idea through Malin's seemingly thick skull. Once again, however, it seemed to bounce off as he pointed back to where they came from.

"Well then, Natsuki, I guess we must redirect ourselves."

"Don't say it so proudly, you dolt! YOU'RE the one who screwed up the directions for the 50th time!"

Indeed, Malin had screwed up directions once again, like a dumbass. If one were to be asked what the mindset of such a stupid f*ck was, that individual might be prompted to say that Malin must be missing a chromosome or two, as it should not be physically possible for someone to be so absolutely incapable of such basic skills.

Malin decided to go through the routine of rubbing the back of his head and flashing his iconic smile, as if nothing was wrong. This confidence irked Natsuki to no end.

"Why are you SMILING, ASSHOLE?! It might take hours to get back on track, all because you're too damn stupid to read the directions!"

"Nonsense, Natsuki."

It sounded like Malin was going to continue his statement, so Natsuki kept silent for a moment, waiting for an answer. However, when he didn't respond, she was frustrated.

"Were you gonna continue that remark, Malin?"

"..."

"HELLO?!"

"I am thinking, Natsuki. You should calm down, comrade."

And so, as Malin proceeded to say the cursed words that should never be said to a woman, Natsuki blew a fuse, and began to rant at him, her face beginning to turn red.

" **CALM DOWN, BITCH?! WE'RE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE F*CKING FIELDS WITH NO F*CKING CLUE AS TO WHERE WE ARE, BECAUSE YOUR STUPID ASS CAN'T READ THE F*CKING DIRECTIONS ON A F*CKING MAP! WE'RE JUST SUPPOSED TO KILL SOME STUPID F*CKING GOBLIN, GET PAID, AND MOVE ON WITH OUR F*CKING LIVES! DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THE GRIND, MALIN?!"**

All the while, Malin was silent, listening to Natsuki's rant. Finally, after a few minutes, Natsuki began huffing as she ran out of breath, placing her hands on her knees. She brought her head up, sweat dripping from her forehead as she stared angrily at Malin.

"Do you...finally...get the damn...point i'm...trying to make…?"

Malin pointed to something behind her. Natsuki painstakingly turned around and looked at where he was pointing. In the distance, a line of trees made up the frontier of a forest.

"Okay, so we _did_ go the right way. I believe that's Kevlyn Forest over there, where our mission is."

Natsuki looked back up at Malin, whose face was filled with shining, reinforced confidence.

"See, Natsuki? There was nothing to worry about after all."

"Go suck a fat one."

* * *

Before the two decided to storm the forest for the supposed goblin, Malin and Natsuki decided to camp out a couple dozen meters away, below a large tree. Malin broke out the rations, splitting it evenly between them. As they eat, the two converse about various topics.

"So, Malin...are there, uh, any deadly diseases in this world?"

Malin nodded as he chomped down on his bread.

"There's plenty abound. From Nekropsis and Retynic to Marehocra and Drekardec, they do some pretty screwed-up things to your body."

Natsuki nodded silently, keeping quiet for a few moments. She then spoke once again.

"You ever, uh….ever heard of ligma?"

Malin tilted his head slightly in confusion.

"Ligma? No. What's ligma?"

He was even more confused when Natsuki giggled.

"It's, uh, it's related to sugma."

"Sugma? Is that also a disease? Is it similar to ligma?"

"Almost, but it's more similar to bofa."

"I'm not really getting the gist here. Is bofa the family tree of this plethora of diseases or something?"

"Well, it _was_ categorized by the famous scientist, Cho Kohnma."

"Cho Kohnma? I've never heard of him before…"

By this time, Natsuki was about to break out laughing from how naive Malin was to these garbage jokes. She just couldn't resist one more delivery.

"Well, i'm sure you haven't. After all, he's most popular in sawcon."

"Sawcon?"

"Sawcon this DICK!"

With that mind-blowing, extraordinary delivery, Natsuki couldn't hold it in anymore, and began laughing raucously, slapping her knee and falling over onto the ground, clutching her sides as she gasped for air.

After a few moments of wheezing in laughter, she got up, sighing in content. She looked over at Malin, who expressed horror at her last statement.

"You have...a penis?!"

Natsuki facepalmed.

"Let's just go finish the f*cking mission already."

* * *

Finally, the two stood in front of the brooding forest. Natsuki could hear the sound of peaceful wildlife from inside, and was tempted to relax and listen to the calm noises. However, after hard lessons on battle-readiness from Malin, she was determined not to screw the mission up. She brought up her small buckler shield and readied her shortsword. Malin noticed this and smiled, but refrained from commenting. He himself brought up his massive heater shield and readied his broadsword.

"Let's go find that og- uh, goblin."

Natsuki was a bit put off by his stuttering, but she didn't have time to focus on that.

"Sounds good."

The two entered the forest, awkwardly moving through the forestry as there was no trail leading inwards.

For a few minutes, the two looked around the greenery, scanning the area around them. A thought suddenly popped up in Natsuki's mind, and she turned to ask Malin a question.  
"Keep your eyes on the surrounding area." Malin urged. "Lest you want to be caught off-guard."

Natsuki's cheeks turned red slightly in embarrassment, and she went back to looking around.

"R-right, sorry."

"I'm assuming you wanted to ask me something, though?"

Natsuki nodded, then realized Malin probably couldn't see that, and responded.

"Yeah. Is there a, uh, town around here?"

"Yes, actually. Riverinfeld, if I recall. I believe they are also experiencing this, er, _goblin_ problem as the other town was."

"I see, and, um, did they exactly define how many goblins?"

She waited a few seconds for an answer, but got none. Concerned, she sneaked a quick glance at Malin. She could see a sweat drop running down his face.

"Malin? Did you hear me?"

"Huh? What?"

"I asked how many goblins."

"It's, um...it's...quite a few."

Natsuki squinted, becoming more suspicious of Malin's aversion to her question.

"It's a simple question, Malin. What's the problem?"

"Oh, look! A clearing!"

Before Natsuki could speak further, he tramped over to a nearby rock and hid behind it, looking out over the clearing. It was a giant green field within the forest, which was a bit odd to Natsuki. She was, however, more annoyed by Malin at the moment. She stomped over to where he was, frustration clear on her face.

"Malin! Answer the damn question!"

Malin turned to her, flashing his usual smile, but this time he was sweating more profusely.

"Look, just hide here and i'll explain to you. Just promise you won't get mad and we can-"  
"Is there something you're not telling me, Malin?"

At that moment, Malin's eyes widened as he looked behind her. He began to sweat much more profusely, and without using his voice, he strongly signaled for Natsuki to get down behind the rock.

"What? Why are you-"

 _ **STOMP!**_

 _Natsuki froze. Something_ big _was behind her. She could hear its heavy breathing. Slowly, she turned around and looked up to make eye contact with a giant, green, humanoid monster. Its eyes held nothing but cruel, malicious intent. It bared its rotting teeth as it raised the giant wooden log in its hands, preparing to smash Natsuki to pieces. She was frozen in horror, staring up at it, paralyzed with fear_.

Then suddenly, she felt Malin football tackle her to the side.

 _ **SMASH!  
**_ As the two fell to the ground a couple meters away, Natsuki heard the deafening sound of an entire log smashing into the ground. Overhead, she saw clods of dirt and grass fly in all directions like grenade pellets.

She then looked to the side to see Malin getting up from his spot, readying for combat.

"Quickly, Natsuki, get ready!"

Without hesitation, Natsuki scrambled up, readying herself as she stared up at the giant ogre. It looked at them, disappointed that it didn't turn her into scrambled eggs. With a tug, it pulled the now-dented log out of the ground, bringing it up and onto its shoulder as it sized up the two. It almost ignored Natsuki's presence and more so focused on Malin, which pissed Natsuki off greatly. Her fear of the colossal being before her, however, was far greater.

Without speaking, Malin shook his sword to the left slightly. Natsuki understood it. When they were back at the town, Malin had taught Natsuki a series of subtle codes that the enemy would find hard to understand so as to give the two an advantage in communication during battle.

Without warning, she darted to the left, flanking the ogre as she went around its side. The ogre noticed the movement and moved its head to look. Malin took this opportunity and ran full-speed at the ogre, then propelled himself off the ground, bringing his sword downwards onto the ogre's left shoulder.

" **RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"**

With a fearsome battle cry, Malin cleaved into the ogre's shoulder.

" _ **AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHHH!"**_

The ogre roared in pain as Malin's sword smashed into the ogre's flesh and muscle, as well as breaking the bone below.

 _CRACK!_

Even from behind the ogre, Natsuki could hear the resounding sound of the ogre's clavicle breaking. She took this time to run up, slashing the ogre's ankles. The ogre's skin, however, was tough, and on top of her own weakly strength, she was only able to make a small cut. The ogre bellowed in anger, giving no attention to Natsuki, who was continuing to hack and slash at the back of its legs.

The ogre gave Malin a terrifying gaze, but Malin looked back with a defiant expression, uncowed by its intimidation. The ogre snorted and brought its free hand and, swatting Malin off of its shoulder. Malin grunted in pain as he was thrown several meters back, smashing into one of the trees. The tremendous weight of Malin, accompanied with his gear, nearly caused the tree to break in half.

Natsuki noticed Malin fly back, and became worried for her own health. Though her slashing efforts seemed to finally be making progress as she kept slashing at the open wounds, she now attracted the attention of the ogre, who turned around and looked down at her, anger blazing in its eyes. Unlike Malin, Natsuki was not so fearless, and as she stared up into its eyes, she began to shake uncontrollably, a dark stain enveloping her trousers.

As it turned around to face her, it brought up one foot, hovering it over her being. She was too terrified to move, to even think.

"NATSUKI! MOVE!"

Finally, with that scream from Malin, she broke out of her trance and dove to the side just as the ogre's foot plummeted, smashing into the ground where she once stood. She looked up from her position on the ground, still shaking violently, but no longer paralyzed in fear. The ogre turned to her, and what sounded like rocks cascading down a mountain emitted from its throat. It seemed to be laughing.

" _ **SCRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"**_

Out of nowhere, an ear-piercing shriek blasted Natsuki's ears. She directed her gaze to her left, as did the ogre.

In all of its utter glory, a winged creature with the front legs and head of a hawk and the back legs of a lion flew down from the air, settling on the ground below, its wings receding behind its back.

A gryphon.

 _You've got to be sh*tting me,_ Natsuki thought.

It jutted out its chest as it stared down the ogre, who responded by roaring in challenge. After a few moments of a standoff, the two charged at each other, the ogre roaring and the gryphon shrieking in anger.

As they met in the middle of the field, a resound _BOOM_ was heard as the two giant bodies collided, and blows were exchanged between the two.

Meanwhile, Natsuki heard armor clinking and looked behind her to see Malin stumbling over, falling to his knees beside her. He was panting heavily, holding his sword and shield wearily.

"We...we need to wait it out."

"WHAT?!"

Malin turned his head to look at her.

"We can't...can't claim the reward if...we have no evidence...let's just wait...in hiding…"

"Wait, so we were never fighting goblins?!"

Reluctantly, Malin shook his head.

"Bounty was for...an ogre."

"MALIN! YOU F*CKING SON OF A B*TCH! I ALMOST F*CKING DIED BECAUSE YOU LIED TO MY ASS! I OUGHT TO SKEWER YOU WITH THE END OF MY-"

Before she could finish her threat, a deafening combination of a shriek and roaring was heard from above. Natsuki covered her ears as it overwhelmed her hearing, groaning in pain from the sheer volume of the sound.

Then, a giant shadow enveloped the field around her.

 _WHOOSH!_

It was the sound of giant, flapping wings. Once again, Natsuki was terrified of another giant, unknown being that she couldn't see.

Then, suddenly, a column of blazing-white fire was sent straight at the clashing ogre and gryphon, to which they both began to scream in pain as they were charbroiled alive. Even from several meters away, Natsuki could feel the pure heat from the fire from her position.

The fire then stopped, both the ogre and gryphon thoroughly dead. From above, a _f*cking dragon_ swooped down and brought its massive jaws down upon the gryphon, scooping it up with its mouth. It settled its monstrous body on the ground for a moment as it began to chew up the gryphon, and Natsuki got a good look of the being. It was a shimmering blue, as if it took its color pattern from the sea. It was about the size of a small house, and it had jagged, dark blades running down its back pointed downwards. Its mouth, from what Natsuki could see, was filled with pointed teeth, its frontal teeth curved inwards slightly.

Finally, having finished snacking on the gryphon, it then picked up the ogre with its front claws. Its giant wings began to flap, flattening the grass around it and sending strong waves of air in all directions, even pushing back the branches of the trees a bit. Then, it took off into the air, flying towards the nearby mountain. As it grew into a dot, Natsuki could faintly hear the sound of that same shrieking roar.

And thus, the dust settled. Natsuki sat there for a few moment, still unbelieving of what had just transpired.

Then, from her left side,

"Damn it!"

Natsuki craned her head over to see Malin getting up, growling in anger as he sheathed his gear.

"DAMN IT! That damnable dragon took off with our reward money!"

Natsuki felt rage clog her throat, and she got up, storming over to Malin, who was leaning against a tree. She then proceeded to reverse her hold on the sword, gripping the sharp end without touching the actual blade, and brought up the hilt of her shortsword.

"Tog, if only I had just cut off a piece of its flesh or something- OW!"

He wheezed in pain as Natsuki slammed the hilt of the sword into his side hard. It clanged against the armor, bruising Malin's side. He leaned over and held it while groaning in pain.

"MALIN! YOU ALMOST GOT ME KILLED! WHAT THE F*CK?!"

Malin looked up, a bit irked by her sudden attack. However, it faded away quickly as he realized that she was justified in doing so. He took a kneel so he could meet at eye level with Natsuki.  
"Look, Natsuki, If I had told you we were fighting an ogre, you would have never gone along with the job. Now, I do understand that I should have told you-"

"SHOULD HAVE?! YOU F*CKING ASSHOLE, YOU _NEEDED_ TO TELL ME! I COULD HAVE SERIOUSLY BEEN SMASHED TO BITS BECAUSE OF THAT BIG UGLY F*CK AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN _YOUR_ FAULT!"

Upon hearing this, Malin averted his eyes, filled with shame as he realized what she was saying.

"I...I..."

"What the hell, Malin?! How can I trust you now, when you almost got me _killed_?!"

At this final sentiment, Malin got up, standing still for a moment. Natsuki watched as he moved over to the log that the ogre had dropped, and sat down on it, staring down at the ground and placing his knuckles against his mouth. He seemed to be thinking.

Natsuki's rage settled, though she was still very much pissed at Malin. However, she went over and stood in front of him as he sat there silently.

A moment or two passed as neither said anything, with Malin looking down at the ground and Natsuki standing over him, though it was more like eye-level because of how massive Malin was.

"Look...Natsuki…"

He cleared his throat, and directed his gaze up at her. She was a bit taken aback to see regret in his eyes.

"I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put you in harm. I just...I've never worked with anyone else before, especially in battle. So...to be frank, I wasn't thinking about the danger you would be in, because I saw you as an able-bodied comrade in battle than someone who was still learning the ropes. I made the mistake of assuming you were already accustomed to the heat of battle, and it could have been a grave one. For that...I'm truly sorry."

After that explanation, Natsuki's anger faded. Albeit she was still a little pissed at him for putting her in danger, she could sympathize with his situation. Having never fought alongside another individual in combat, much less taken someone in under his wing for combat...

She couldn't very much blame him now for his actions. She sighed as she moved over and sat on the log next to him.

"Listen, Malin...I understand. Just...next time, inform me about what we're fighting, okay?"

Hearing her forgiveness, Malin raised his head, giving her a small smile.

As she saw that smile, she felt a pang in her heart. He had mentioned earlier how he had seen her as an equal fighter, rather than just some fragile child. That was something she truly valued about him.

And so, without realizing it, she smiled back. As she did realize, though, she quickly covered her face, averting her gaze in embarrassment.

"By the way, Natsuki...did you...have an accident?"

Natsuki was a bit confused by his question when she looked down to where he was pointing. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flamed scarlet-red as she brought her hands down to cover her wet trousers.

 _I can't believe I peed myself..._ Natsuki thought. She felt tears run down her face as she was truly shamed by the act.

She then felt an arm wrap around her shoulders, and she looked up to see Malin grinning at her.

"I'd say you're lucky, Natsuki. In my first fight, I sh*t my pants."

At this comment, Natsuki couldn't help but burst out laughing, and from there the two chuckled at the the situation together.

As they were enjoying themselves, Natsuki noticed something gleaming at the base of a tree a couple meters away. Curious, she got up from the log and walked over, kneeling by the object.

To her surprise, it was an oversize, black egg of sorts, tilted to the right slightly. A couple inches away, a large, green, severed ear leaking blood was laying in the dirt. She picked it up the two items and brought it over to Malin, who was staring in perplexity at the egg.

"What is this?" Natsuki asked.

"I...don't know."

"Well...I think I might keep it for now."

"Big decision. You sure you want to wait and see what comes out of that egg?"

Natsuki nodded. She was oddly allured by the egg. Malin shrugged.

"Alright, your choice. By the way, what's that thing in your other hand?"

Natsuki brought it up, making a face as she realized that she had subconsciously picked up a severed ear.

"Ew, why did I-"

"Holy SH*T-"

Natsuki yelped slightly as the statement boomed from Malin's mouth.

"-Natsuki, that must be from the ogre!"

"This?" She raised the ear tentatively. Malin took the ear, looking over it as if it was a whole gold bar.

"With this, we can get that reward! Tog, Natsuki, you just got us money!

Suddenly, Malin stepped forward and wrapped Natsuki in a bear hug, much to her distress.

 _Smooch_.

Natsuki's cheeks flamed up once again as she felt Malin kiss her cheek several times in earnest.

"Wha-what the hell, Malin?! S-st-stop!"

"Three cheers for the greatest mini-soldier to live!"

* * *

As the sun was setting, the two were making their way down the road, side by side. Natsuki was thoroughly fatigued from both the fight, the travel, and having to carry such gear on her back for so long. She had no idea how Malin was able to do it.

"So, what do you have in mind for that egg, Natsuki?" Malin inquired.

Natsuki looked down at the egg in her hands, contemplating.

"I dunno. Do I...sit on it or something?"  
"What?...Is that how it works?"

"I don't know."

Malin shrugged.

"Guess we'll have to find out."

Natsuki realized how much that statement applied to Malin's entire work ethic. Yet, she couldn't resist smiling as she thought about the prospect of adventure ahead.

"I guess we will."

* * *

 **Author Notes:**

\- Y'all better appreciate the sh*t I post. This ain't easy to write.

\- There will be **AT LEAST** one chapter per week. I may post more than one, if I am feeling particularly write...ful.

\- If you enjoy these chapters, you can follow and/or favorite this series for updates on when I post new chapters.

\- Reviews are definitely appreciated.

More chapters to arrive!


	19. Chapter VII: The Farmer- &A&8G4(A9I:2N3

**Suggestion** \- While reading these chapters, put on ambience music that will help simulate the environment in the story. Such recommended channels are the 'Guild of Ambience', 'Sword Coast Soundscapes', 'Pandora Journey', and 'The Spirit of Orchestral Music'.

You may not realize it, but using such background ambience enhances your reading of the story over 10 times more.

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter VII: The Farmer / ? &A&8G4(A?9I:2N$3**

"Check the carriage again, make sure we have everything."

"But I already checked two hours ago-"

"Check again."

Yuri sighed as she trudged back to the small cart that Wolfe was hauling with his hands, sifting through the assorted items, mentally checking off what was there.

"Everything's here, Wolfe."

"Mathematical. Now let's keep going. We're almost to Crooktyn."

Yuri kept quiet, not wanting to annoy Wolfe. The two had been together for about a week now, ever since he had found her lying naked in his pumpkin field. Despite the first incredibly awkward encounter, they had somewhat come to develop an employer-employee relationship when Yuri had agreed to help him with his general work in exchange for housing and food.

Of course, Yuri had made sure to tell Wolfe about her past, though she was extremely confused when she had tried to convey it. Still, though, he believed her, as crazy as it sounded, and that was good enough.

Aside from that, traveling in this land was an amazing prospect to her, especially since the entire landscape was breathtakingly beautiful. Rolling, green hills and mountains filled with trees, birds flying overhead, and the clear, blue sky. At night, she could see all the stars in the sky, as there was no pollution to block them.

The first time she had traveled, Wolfe was concerned to see her break down crying. The beauty of it all was so overwhelming to her the first time, and it hadn't died down since then. Occasionally, Wolfe would have to call to her to snap her out of her trance as she gazed upon the land around her.

"How much longer till the estimated time of arrival has occurred?"

Wolfe turned back to give Yuri a perplexed look.

"Why are you speaking like that?"

"O-oh, sorry...I don't know…"

"Okay, well, we're about 2 more miles away."

"I see. Thank you."

Wolfe shook his head as he turned back to face the road ahead. Ever since he had met her, he had been weirded out by at least 90% of the interactions he had with her. She was...what was the word? Oh yeah, _bashful_.

Sure, he had come across quite a few shy women in his days, but never before had he met someone so _odd_ as her. She had completely different mannerisms than any woman Wolfe had met prior. Just the other day, he had gone out to the trade market to buy some goods and had a rather nice chat with a female baker. Then, he came back to _this_ person, and it was like he was talking to a foreigner.

Wolfe sighed. He didn't even really know _what_ was wrong with how she acted, but there was definitely something there, he just couldn't pinpoint it.

"So, uh, Wolfe, um...how fares thee?"

One fine example.

"S-sorry, that was probably weird...I, uh, I meant how, eh...h-how are you...today?"

"...Swell. You?"

She blushed and turned her head to the side. Another fine example.

"I'm...fine. Just glad that I can get a grip of this world."

Wolfe shook his head in disbelief. No matter how many times she mentioned it, it was still a crazy concept to him. How had she come to this world? What world did she come from? Why was she so _weird?_

All these questions swirled around in his head. Despite working with her for a week now, every question he had answered about her only brought up new ones.

Wolfe sighed. He went into farming mainly because he didn't have to think too much, yet now he was given a entire existential question in the form of a person.

Luckily for him, through a break in the treeline, he could see Penshaw, the small village he was called to.

As the two had not walked in from the front, but rather the side, they got a rather nice view of the place. They had emerged from an outcrop of rocks hidden among the dense trees, and could see the basic village structures, which consisted of straw roofs and timber & white plaster houses. He could see the outline of sheep grazing in the fields only a dozen meters or so from the main village, which was surely covered with a shepherd overseeing the herd. The village itself was rather small, yet not too bad off structure-wise. Even from the distance he was at, Wolfe could see the gray cobblestone paving the raised platform that the village sat on. There was a small main entrance that consisted of a stone archway, but also an unofficial side path into the village. All in all, a very quaint and humble stead.

The sight of Penshaw prodded Wolfe's memory on the occasion of them being here. Only a few days back, since they had started travel towards Penshaw, he had been notified via a letter from the head villager, a Mr. Weinert Schopp, and asked to come over and give self-defense and weapons training to the villagers, offering a sizable payment in coin, as well as sacks of grain, wheat and produce on top of it all. However, Wolfe didn't plan on taking most of the rewards from him, but rather a small fee for his travel expenses.

As he got closer to the village, however, the whole atmosphere suddenly dropped, and out of nowhere he suddenly felt a massive headache coming on.

"Aaaaah…"

He groaned in pain as he dropped to his knees, the pain encompassing his entire head. He could hear Yuri groaning in agony as well, most likely suffering from the same attack.

 _What the hell is going on?!_ He thought in panic.

 _ **A flurry of loud noises passed by his ears, and then, as suddenly as the pain came, it faded. Wolfe lifted his head and looked up at the village.**_

Somet # Vhing...wasn't right.

As he studied the village t4 $#RT closer, he noticed that the previous DVWxdge bustling lifQ 3te had...stopped, almost in WEFDW an unnatural fashion. He could _feel_ the wind had stopped, the chirping of birdWER$s had ceased, the _air itself_ had turned...

Wolfe got up slowly, rubbWE$ing his head slightly and looking over at Yuri. Seeing her her get up filled him with relief, as he was !T w3glad nothing bad had happened t !Q# %o her.

He looked over towards the village, deciding to investigate. Every step he took felt surreal, as if he was in a dream. Every thought that came to his mind was jumbled, as if his brain was being interzl;fered with.

 _Squelch_.

He looked down to find that, amidst his mental chaos, he had unknowingly stepped in the cavity of someone's stomach. He could f5gdeel his shoe grinding on their intestines.

Sickened, he pulled it out ty with a revolting _schlick_ , and continued on. He looked back at Yuri, who seemed equally ho6nfrrified with the whole place.

What had happened here? Had they gotten massacred?

This thought particularly stood out to him, and hxrt56e had flashbacks to his own village. He felt dark rage begin to build up inside of him, but he supp45erxressed it and moved on.

As he pressed on, more corpses of humans and animals alike were sc76hbtattered amongst the grgr7ound. Further and further into the village, the number of bodies were starting to multiply. The ground below Wolz4fe was soaked with fresh blood, streaks of red lining the street in an irregular fashion.

"I re43fcally don't lik435ge this, Wo2frd]lfe…"

Wolfe was confused by what he had just heard. It sounded like someodrs 5y6ne had tried to speak through a dysfunctional Ceiver. Was that...Yuri?

Yet the mere thdb6rty ought of turning around and trying to work out the whole situation only served to cause Wolfe more confusion.

Something was def4jv3initely wrong.

 _ **SHEE!**_

Wolfe looked arouc4awe4nd in panic. He had defin;e4fitely heazegrd somethidzfng feral scream just then…

 _ **SHEE!**_

There it was again! Wolfe's head darted arouv65rb nd in all directions. At this point, instinctively, he found it necesSFrsary to have his dagger in hand, ready for defense. He had no idea what they were facing, but he was ser5bure that it was the cas4fv3vnl;use of this whole atrocity.

 _ **SHEE!**_

 _There._

Time slowed down as Wolfe caug": ^Nht a glance of the czwe4;'reature, who was in the process of tryxbr5 ing to recede into the shadows, but not befonfy7re Wolfe could get a lo2 3/;ok at it.

The first thing he nol/xi ticed was its skin. Milky whi; ite, the humans.k4h3oid monster stood out among the grey cobblestone like a ship in the sky. Beyond that, Wolfe was revolted by its eloxlj f5kngated arms and legs, which were almost spider-like in appearance. At the end of its front legs, bloodstaz5l;xined claws clasped oxl nto the side of the buim5dihl;6lding.

It appeared to have no nozvre5se, ears, or hair, only sharp, blood-staixoe;45ned teeth, and bright yeihlmcz4fllow eyes, which gazed with mb2d8lvenace upon Wolfe.

Its eyes darted over to Wolfe's side, and within a secze45ond it had flashed by, having prop,m8yelled itself off the ground.

Wolfe didn't nearly have enougcw4moh time to react as it flojs4ew by him, and he turned his head-

"Wol...fe...?..."

 _ **Blobdu65od poured out of the debd6ch5ep gashes that ran hb87vorizontally acrozgss her entire body, sliced oz4spen by the creavture. Her guts spilled oxvrut onto the gzv4round below.**_

 _ **SPLdv5OTCH.**_

 _ **In shock, Yuri fell to her kneezdsv4s, looking wide-ezer4yed at Wolfe, who was paralbxdtyzed in horror at what he was sezdxreing. The creature moved over and scooped up h53b yer entrails, lowering them into its mouth and chewing on it, right in fr7fnty ont of her.**_

 _ **Then, withodvut warning, it pou56hnced on Yuri, and begs3eban to dig into her bowels, sending bloe45gbod and flesh to the siddc5es as it dug isr45bnto her stomach. Wolfe could hear thA#ce terrified screams coming frQW#Com Yuri's mouth, which was distorted so that it soundF$WE#ed like cracws4tkling thunCWder.**_

 _ **In a fit of horror and rage, WoW$#Clfe dived forward, screa ZWming, and jumped onYNT$Wto the creature's back, plu G$nging the knife into its fleW$Vsh countless times.**_

 _ **SHEEEEEEEEEW$GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW$Hvgdx!**_

 _ **It screeche$WVd in pain, trying to throwQWEC off Wolfe, who grippW#Ged its s#Ckin so tightly he drew blood. All tWE$he while, he kM ^ept pluSADVnging the knife into its back, blood pourin#W$Fg from all of the stab wouW$EVnds.**_

 _ **Evens$tually, it fell over, dead fW$Vrom shock. WWVolfe fell to the grWSERBound, hitting his head on the cobW $ZHblestone as he im$BN pacted hard.**_

 _WhJIM)at thzlw4j e hDWell wase2s goi$WGng oF3n?_

 _His m4hnind distorted, he ce45baught blurs of him crawline5xg over to Yuri, look5eding her over. Her stomaxbch was gaping, and blotyfod miyvxcxed wdith skin was splazdyttered in every direrfction within five mvc6eters._

 _Yet someg08l;nhow, she was still breazh 5thing, still alive. She xd65looked over at Wolfe in shock, her breathbz5s shallow. Wolfe felt tears begin era4fyto run down his che;7fc ek as he put his hand under her he,8r7 5ad and cradled her, holding her agaxu m65inst him._

" _It'll bwsvbe okay, Yuri. It'll be okay. I prohxr6cmise. I promc65ise. I pro9/4smise."_

 _He co5byxuldn't stop chanbf6ting those w6m9ords to himself adg7f6nd to her. She couldn't resr6chpond, but instd6crhead her eyelids drooped, and she looked Wolfe in the eyes._

 _In desxh6fpair, he leaned dh6rcown and kissed her all ovhr6cer the face, his mdh6rind in shambles as he thouh6crght how he coxt6vculd help her. He contm.-inued cradling her, and it wadf5bsn't until several momf6ents later that he realizgdvced she wasn't breagxde54thing anymore. Her eyes hax5gdhd closed, and her breaxrf6nthing stopped._

…

…

…

…

" _ **AAAAAAAxz5dxqwr3AAAAAAAAs4gzAAAHHHHHHHHHHHze45gHHHHHHH!"**_

 _ **Wolfe's pgxzde5syche snapped.**_

She wgd5asn't dead. Wolfe absodxz5hlutely knew this.

 _ **SO W;98/HY Wdz5AS HE SCREdfedAMING?!  
**_ " _ **AAAAAAAzdsryAAAAAAAAAHHHgxd5HHHHHHHHHH5l6HHHHHHH234kxH!"**_

 _ **He pulszrvled out tufts of his hair, punched hiz4gmself all over the body, gripzds5bped parts of his flesh unzgds4til they bled. His midvfnd had snapped.**_

35g 243 3r45t2 ea3uidhwe4

fd6eesaO94W649-][LIRYUQ

7YT976Y,987W56AERB9T8YUGK

76OLGXZSA453M7 WS45OL .DS 5R7GTUVHKJ

SR465O97 FY

"yOu'Ve GoTtA bE fUcKiNg KiDdInG mE!"

Time had stopped. Wolfe, shell-shocked, looked over to his right, seeing a distorted figure. It took on a human shape, but Wolfe could not work out how it looked. The figure looked over at Wolfe. It put its hands up in a surrendering fashion.

"aLrIgHt, LoOk, I'm SoRrY bUd. ThAt _ThInG…"_

It pointed to the creature, which was still laying on the cobblestone with blood pouring out of the wounds on its back. In the background, faintly, Wolfe could hear piano music begin to play the blues.

The blues? Piano music? The hell was that?

"...wAs NoT sUpPoSeD tO bE hErE. tHe StOrY's BeEn A bIt...SpOrAdIc lAtElY, bUt I pLaN oN fIxInG tHaT. AgAiN, I'm SoRrY, rEaLlY. bUt TeLl yOu WhAt, In ExChAnGe, I'lL gIvE yOu...Uh…"

The entity rubbed its chin in contemplation.

"sHiT...wHaT dO fArMeRs LiKe?...Oh, I kNoW! hOw AbOuT tHe KnOwLeDgE oF fOoD pReSeRvAtIoN!"

In the sudden moment, Wolfe felt a short burst of knowledge blast into his head. Drying meats, freezing produce...all about the different methods of food preservation. Before he could even start reveling in this revolutionary knowledge, the entity continued speaking.

"aLrIgHt...NoW tO fIx ThIs MeSs…" It looked to Yuri and the Raker.

With a wave of its hand, the creature began to dissolve, and Yuri's wounds began to heal. Within mere seconds, nothing was left of what had once been.

"NoW tHaT tHaT's DeAlT wItH, i'M gOnNa HaVe To MaKe SoMe ChAnGeS tO tHiS wHoLe PrOcEsS…"

The entity took another look at Wolfe.

"AnD, uH, yOu CaN't ReMeMbEr AnY oF tHiS, bRo. NoT lIkE yOu'D wAnT tO, aNyWaYs, CoNsIdErInG hOw YoU rEaCtEd To AlL tHiS."

Then, with a single snap of its fingers, Wolfe blacked out.

* * *

"Wolfe?"

"HUH?! What?!"

Wolfe found himself standing at the outcrop of rocks once more. The village of Penshaw was bustling with life, sheep were grazing upon the fields, overseen by a single shepherd. The insides of some of the village buildings were lit up, as seen through the windows. Birds were chirping, the wind was blowing.

Wolfe looked back at Yuri. She was a little confused by his expression.

"Why do you look so shell-shocked?"

Wolfe wasn't aware of his own expression, and he worked to quickly reassert his expression.

"I...don't know. Let's, um…"

"...Go talk to the head villager?"

"Yeah! That…"

He began walking towards the village, suddenly disengaging from the chat with Yuri. She was a little startled by his sudden movement, but worked to catch up to his pace.

As he continued into the village, he looked around, much more on edge than before, though he didn't know why. He passed by a couple villagers, who nodded their heads in acknowledgement.

Everything seemed fine to Wolfe.

Everything seemed just fine.

…

…

…

…

So why did he feel dread?

* * *

After a few days of arduous training of the peasants, along with sharing his knowledge of food preservation, Wolfe was given a surprisingly large amount of gold and produce, especially for the knowledge on food preservation. The village head, Adestan Reck, had praised him highly on how ingenious it was to think about freezing their produce.

"We'll be asking the local noble about importing ice from Fruzland!" He commented, talking about the cold island to the far north of Brimmen.

As Wolfe and Yuri were walking back towards home, a few days away, Yuri felt pressed to ask Wolfe a question, though she took a couple minutes to work up the courage to do so.

"Hey, uh, Wolfe…"

Wolfe kept his eyes on the road ahead, but still answered her question.

"Yes?"

"Um...I don't mean to, uh, sound rude here, but, uh...I never heard about this 'food preservation' stuff when you were teaching me…"

"Well, i'm still teaching you some stuff, and I'm going to delve more into it when we get into more advanced information for crops and farming."

"Ah, okay…"

As she reverted back to gazing at the landscape around her, Wolfe sneaked a glance back at her. For some reason, she always adopted the most focused expression when she was absorbed in something, as if she was searching deeper into the meaning of the thing she was focused on.

Wolfe felt his heart pound as he watched her. There was something...alluring about her expression. Something special.

 _Stop it_ , he chided himself.

He shook his head, turning it back to the road ahead. There was a reason he had isolated himself to a farm. He didn't want any more connections with people.

Yet, if he was being completely honest with himself, Wolfe was starting to appreciate this world a little bit more. That brought a smile to his face.

* * *

 **Author Notes:**

\- 2-3 chapters come out every weekend, so watch for when that happens.

\- Posting reviews lets me know that you're reading, so please do me a favor and let me know how you feel about the chapters.


	20. Chapter VIII: Freedom

**FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALREADY READ THIS CHAPTER** \- There was a change in plot. I suggest re-reading from the halfway point of the story to see the change.

* * *

 **Suggestion** \- While reading these chapters, put on ambience music that will help simulate the environment in the story. Such recommended channels are the 'Guild of Ambience', 'Sword Coast Soundscapes', 'Pandora Journey', and 'The Spirit of Orchestral Music'.

With that said, please enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter VIII: Freedom**

 _How long has it been?_

That was the question that had stayed with Andy for as long as he had been in this place. He had no idea of what time had passed by, but at this point he didn't know how to break out of this cycle he was in.

For however long he had been here, he had been rescuing random people from all types of predicaments, including monsters, hazards, and other dangers. Each room was different, with some being claustrophobically tight to ones as big as entire mansions.

All the people he had rescued had found it to be of quintessential importance that they follow their savior. By now, Andy guesstimated that he had around 500-800 followers at this point. He tried directing one to do something, and they did it without hesitation. These people were loyal.

Meanwhile, Emelot and Michael were following him like they were his second in commands.

 _Am I leading an army into battle or something?_ Andy thought to himself half-jokingly. Hopefully that wasn't actually the case.

Eventually, the whole ensemble reached a giant set of iron gates that towered meters above their heads. Andy took a look around the hallway they were in. It was extremely large, allowing for all 500-800 people to crowd in. The walls were dark blue, and the gate in front of him was grey.

He was definitely getting some final-boss vibes from this.

"Mikey, listen…"

"I'd prefer if you not call me that."

"...I need you to go ahead and see if you can find something around here that could, you know, open this gate."

Andy expected some form of sarcasm or resistance from Michael, but to his surprise, he nodded and, without hesitation, began to search around for a switch. Emelot joined in the search. As the crowd saw those two doing it, they began to search around as well. Andy was both impressed and freaked out by this domino effect.

 _Focus,_ Andy thought to himself. _We need to get out of here._

If this was the final boss, then that would mean that freedom would surely come after.

"Sir! Over here!"

Andy directed his attention to one of his followers, a black fellow in thuggish clothing. As Andy walked over, he recognized the guy, Adrian. Several dozen rooms back, he had saved this fellow from a room full of arachnids. The guy was terrified, seeming to have had a phobia of spiders. So much so, that when Andy and his crew rolled up and wiped out the little critters, the guy practically jumped into his arms, crying and pleading for Andy to save him.

Coming from a 6'3" tall, very buff black guy, this was quite a shock. However, the guy seemed to be pretty indebted after that, and began to follow Andy as one of the most steadfast among his followers.

That was another point Andy began to wonder about. His followers. Becoming the sudden leader over hundreds of varying individuals was definitely an odd experience. They treated him like a messiah, which somewhat made sense when the only other option was being trapped in this hellhole. Everytime he asked one of them a question, needed something done, or anything else, they would answer without hesitation, almost in desperate earnest, as if they were both awed and terrified of Andy and what might happen if they didn't do what he said.

Andy sighed. He just wanted to get out of this creepy-ass place, and he assumed that every single one of his followers was thinking the same thing.

"What did you find, Adrian?" Andy asked.

Adrian pointed to a small, stone button protruding out of the wall. It was so out-of-place of this empty hallway that it was almost like it wanted to be pressed.

Andy hesitated. For all he knew, especially in this screwed up place, that button could kill them all with just one press.

Maybe it would be more viable to look for other-

"Shit! Vultures!"

Andy's head swiveled as he witnessed one of his followers run back from the far end of the room, and behind him were dozens of those wretched Vultures, humanoid monsters so aptly named due to their grey skin, claws for hands, and ragged black clothing hanging onto them. He had a run in with them a couple times along his journey, and there were more than a few of his followers that had been trapped in rooms with them.

Andy began to panic. Now they were trapped between a giant set of locked doors and a whole herd of terrifying creatures. He looked to the button.

 _Should I press it?_ He thought in angst. _What will happen?_

They could go back the way they came, but Andy didn't want to dare risk getting thrown back into the maze that was this entire complex.

"Sir! Please help us!"

This was the first among many cries that began to echo around the chamber, mimicked by the hundreds of voices that Andy had come to slowly know. Andy was further stressed out as he weighed his chances between escaping back through the hole and pressing the button.

"AAAH!"

Andy witnessed one of the Vultures slash at a fleeing follower, who began to back up on the floor, crying in desperation and utter fear.

Andy finally decided.

 _Smack!_

Andy brought the palm of his hand down hard on the button, hoping to God that it would turn out positive.

Suddenly, he heard several clammers from around the hallway, and his head swiveled around to see horizontal trays shooting out from hidden wall panels. On the trays, weapons and armor of all types were laid out, yet the trays were thrusted forward with such force that some of the gear fell off the tray and onto the ground below, clattering loudly.

The followers shouted in surprise as the trays came forward. As Andy saw the wide array of weaponry and armor, it took only a millisecond for him to know what was to happen.

"PUT ON THE GEAR!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping his voice would reach across the giant room. As his followers heard this, they began to grab the gear in haste, some putting on random pieces of metal armor, others picking up swords and axes to wield.

Meanwhile, Michael, Emelot, and Andy were quickly finding their own gear to put on. Michael fastened a barbute helmet to his head, strapped on a metal cuirass to his chest along with pauldrons, rerebraces and vambraces, and then picked up two large axes, dual-wielding them as he got into a defensive stance. Emelot found a small mail coif to drape over her head and shoulders, along with a leather brigandine body armor that she strapped to her chest. She picked up a small rapier and got into a defensive stance.

Andy himself picked up a burgonet helmet and strapped it on to his head, then reached for a cuirass with attached pauldrons and faulds and put it on, then finally grabbed for a claymore sword. He was about to launch into battle when he spotted a buckler shield on the floor. In a moment, he got down clumsily, grabbing for the metal heater shield and sliding it on to his right arm, holding his sword with his left hand.

As Andy surveyed the field of soon-to-be battle from his spot in the back, his mind raced. His followers were shaking fearfully in their armor as they held onto their swords, maces, axes, spears and clubs. They were dressed haphazardly, with the vast majority wearing helmets, most wearing body armor of some sort, and a couple having somehow found a lot of armor to put on.

The people at the frontline were shaking heavily in their gear as the Vultures eyed them first, and began shambling towards them.

 _ **A-n-d-y.**_

Andy leered back in shock from the scratchy voice that had filled his head within a second.

"Wh-what the-"

In that moment of decision, Andy felt a strong surge of adrenaline and courage coursing through him. As if someone else had taken over his body, he felt himself raise his sword above his head.

 ** _"MY DISCIPLES!"_**

Everyone turned their heads to him, hearing the authoritative call to action. Andy pointed the tip of his sword at the Vultures.

 _ **"**_ _ **KILL THEM ALL!"**_

With only three words, the fear melted from his followers' faces, replaced by vitriolic anger. The rage-filled, battle-crazed shouts of hundreds of people filled the air, deafening Andy's ears. With that, Andy's army charged at the Vultures with vigor, raising their weapons high above their heads as they ran full-on towards the shocked monsters.

 _ **SLAM!**_

 _ **CRASH!**_

 _ **CRACK!**_

The sounds of impacting metal and bodies sent a shockwave through the frontlines of each side, but soon settled into the clashing of swords, maces, spears, clubs, and claws, which rang out in the large hallway. The sound of flesh ripping, metal clanging, and combatants yelling filled the air, officially marking the beginning of battle.

Andy's head swiveled over to Emelot and Michael, who were filled with vigor at the sight of combat.

 _ **"LET'S GO!"**_

With that, Andy himself charged towards the Vultures, raising his sword high above his head as he gave a battle cry, joined by Emelot and Michael.

Andy set his sights on the first Vulture he saw, who was in the process of flanking a line of Andy's soldiers. Andy leaped forward and brought down his sword hard onto the Vulture.

 _SHICK!_

The Vulture gave out a pained scream as the sword slammed into its shoulder, cleaving through its collarbone and down to its stomach. After a few seconds, the Vulture fell to the ground, dead, blood spurting from its massive wound.

Out of the corner of his eye, Andy noticed Michael swinging his axes in a wild rage, cleaving apart Vultures left and right. One particular Vulture tried to raise its claw to attack, only to have its entire upper torso cleaved off by a swinging axe from Michael. Emelot, on the other hand, was weaving in and out between fights already in progress, stabbing at Vultures from below them. Sometimes she would disappear in the midst of battle, but Andy could keep track of where she was by the sudden screaming of Vultures that doubled over and crumpled to the ground.

The battle went on like this for only around a minute, as the already small force of Vultures were slaughtered by Andy's followers. The remnants of severed body parts and mutilated bodies laid amongst the floor, giving off the pungent smell of death. Amongst the carnage, Andy was utterly impressed to see that none of the bodies were from his following. Now that he felt more in control of his body, though, his mind was racing.

 _What was that voice?_

Surely, there was a connection between that _thing_ speaking and the dark energy that had given him so much strength. He was terrified as to what dangers were lurking in this unknown yet foreboding place.

Standing amidst the corpses, Andy looked back at the worn and weary faces of his followers. All types of people wearing different clothes, sporting an array of different pieces of armor, holding an assortment of bloodied weapons at their sides. They were greatly fatigued, but the flame of victory burned brightly in their eyes.

Meanwhile, Andy stood in front of the crowd, the sudden burst of ominous energy that had been flowing through his body having receded, leaving him extremely tired, the gear he was carrying taking on a heavy weight.

Despite his own tire, however, he felt he needed to say something. He raised his sword above his head once more.

"WE DID IT!"

It was kind of a lame victory shout, but it was sufficient enough for the combat-crazed followers. They raised their weapons and released another collective, deafening battle cry.

 _CREEEEAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKKK_.

Everyone's heads swiveled to see the giant door across the hallway began to creak open. Andy moved through the crowd to the front to see the spectacle.

Inside, Andy could see a massive coliseum-type of deal, where rows of seats circled around a large arena. Tentatively, Andy walked through the doors, followed by his army. As soon as he entered, he could see stairs leading up to his left and right, most likely to the seats surrounding the arena.

On a sign above the entrance, a couple words were scrawled out.

 _Send in your leader._

 _Only one._

As Andy read the sign, he shivered. The whole thing seemed ominous. Behind him, Andy could hear muttering from his followers as they also read the sign. Andy took a few moments to contemplate.

Clearly, this must be the last trial before they could leave. If that was the case, then he would have no other choice but to go into the arena. It was so obvious that there was something menacing that was going to happen, but what else was he to do?

He looked back at his followers, who all had their eyes trained on him, including Michael and Emelot.

"Um…"

He wasn't sure how to address the entire crowd. He sifted through a few words in his mind and finally settled on one.

"Comrades. This must be the last trial. If we can get through this, then there is surely salvation awaiting us on the other side."

He had no idea why he was speaking in such an odd manner, but the crowd was absolutely jubilant at hearing this reassurance from their leader. Some people began breaking down crying in joy, while others praised Andy. He brought one hand up to halt their celebration.

"This must mean I have to go in...alone. I don't want to risk anyone dying, especially since we've come so far."

He stopped. He wasn't sure what to say next. Would it be fine if he ended it there and walked in? Maybe he could tack on a final note before he signed up for uncertain death.

"I...am glad that I got to help all of you, to deliver you from this hellish place. My only hope now is that, together, we can find a way out."

Silence ensued. For a couple moments, Andy thought that he had maybe brought down the atmosphere. However, the crowd suddenly erupted with roaring agreement, his followers raising their swords and shields high above their heads in praise of their leader.

"We'll follow you to the end!"

"Lead us, sir!"

"No obstacle will stop us!"

The yells and cries of praise and resolve invigorated Andy, and once more, he raised his claymore.

"Andy."

Michael came up to him, and Andy turned his attention to him.

"You should put on some more gear before you head into that arena. Right now, all you're wearing is a metal vest and a helmet for protection."

Andy realized that Michael was right. If he was going to take on this challenge, he would have to be as best equipped as possible.

"You're right. Thanks, Mikester."

Michael expressed annoyance at yet another nickname that Andy had come up with, but he decided not to respond. Andy's followers heard the conversation, and immediately voices were raised. Pieces of gear were being taken off by the followers and brought over to Andy.

"Here, sir, use this!"

"You can have my glove!"

"It looks like you need some metal boots! Take mine!"

The crowd clambered to donate their equipment, and the sight of it brought Andy to a grin, despite the grim environment they were in. These people were so steadfast, so ready to help him. He was truly grateful for them.

After about ten minutes or so, Andy had finally finished putting on all of the rest of his gear. He was now a fully-equipped man-at-arms, and it made him feel much more confident in himself. As he brought down the face-guard of his helmet, he surveyed the crowd that was his loyal following. He could see the hopeful faces of each and every one of those people.

 _I am **not** going to let them down_, he thought in resolve.

He turned to Michael, nodding in gratitude. Michael nodded back.

"Andy."

Andy turned his head down to Emelot, who was looking up at him, worry in her eyes.

"Win."

That single word hardened Andy's resolve. He nodded to Emelot, then turned around and, with serious caution, entered the arena.

 _SLAM!_

Without warning, the gate behind him closed, blocking him off from the rest of the group. As it did, his followers crowded forward silently, watching him through the iron black gate. Then, they began to shuffle into the side stairs, making their way up and into the seats surrounding the arena.

Andy noticed that there was a giant ring that circled around the edge of the arena, bordering on the edges of the sand and budding against the spectators' walls, running about ten meters across from the edges of the sand arena to the walls. Upon closer inspection, he noted that it was filled with water, and just below the surface, silhouettes were swimming around menacingly. Andy shivered as he thought about what might happen if he were shoved in.

As for the rest of the arena itself, it was raised about 5 meters above the water level. It spanned 80 meters long and 50 meters wide, which made Andy feel like a dwarf as he walked up the steps and stepped onto the stage of the arena. His shoes crunched as they came in contact with the sand. He looked around as he came closer to the center of the arena. Everyone in the seats was silent, the only sounds coming from the clanking of Andy's armor and the crunching of his footsteps. The tension in the atmosphere was heavy as everyone waited to see what would happen.

In the distance, hung above an imperial podium was a cage with someone inside. Andy took a couple more steps and, upon seeing the caged person, called out to them.

"Hello? Are you okay?!"

It was difficult to see the person from his distance, but he could see the silhouette shuffle around slightly, then call back weakly.

"Please...help me."

The voice sounded feminine, and drained of energy. Andy felt a desire to try and help her, but he wasn't sure how he would be able to do that from where he was at.

 _"Brave champion."_

Andy jumped in fright as he heard a grating voice boom across the entire arena. Its voice carried one of absolute authority, and left no room for misunderstanding. Andy brought his attention to the silhouette looming at the front of the imperial podium. Now that Andy was more focused on the podium itself, he noticed that it was quite distinguished from the other parts of the coliseum by the banners that came down from the front of it and on the columns that were on both sides of the podium.

 _"What is your name?"_

Andy reverted his attention back to the figure at the podium, who was clearly the one speaking. As he heard the request, he tried shouting his name, but sounded a little lackluster in doing so.

"A-Andy...sir."

Seeing as he was in the presence of someone who looked large and in charge, he felt it was necessary to tack on a 'sir' at the end of his introduction.

 _"Andy, the champion who dared to step into the Coliseum. Know that several have come before you, and all have failed terribly."_

For a split second, Andy's mind was filled with gruesome pictures of warriors being slaughtered in the very arena he was standing in. The images disappeared as quickly as they had come so suddenly, yet they still caused massive chills to run down Andy's body.

 _"I will not waste time with answering any potential questions you have for me currently. I want to see whether you are worthy of moving on to reality, especially with your band of warriors in the bleachers."_

As the figure said this, Andy looked around at his followers, who were all focused on him and the speaking figure. Even from the distance he was at, he could feel the nervous energy radiating from the collective mass.

 _"If you succeed in this last trial, you will not only escape from this place, but you will also be granted prestigious rewards, including this girl."_

The figure pointed upwards at the cage, which held the shivering figure. He then lowered his arm.

 _"You will find out her capability, if you succeed in this trial."_

Andy had no interest in her 'capability' more so than the simple desire to help her, but he kept listening to the figure.

 _"Now, let's begin."_

Andy was taken off-guard by how suddenly the trial was starting. In a matter of seconds, parts of the arena were quickly enveloped with a pitch-black fog, and out of the fog a few peasants came charging out from the mist towards Andy. They looked totally human, except that their eyes were replaced with leaking black mist, almost as if it was a hollow body being controlled by someone.

Andy brought his guard up, his heart pumping rapidly, and as the first peasant came forward with fists raised, Andy brought up his shield.

 _SLAM!_

The peasant threw himself full-force into the shield, slamming into it. The force caused Andy to stagger backwards, but he regained his footing and and shield-bashed the peasant, sending him falling backwards onto the sand below. Before Andy had time to react, another peasant came out from the mist, charging towards him, flailing its fists in a wild fury.

Andy turned around to take a full punch to the face. In anger, he smashed his shield into the peasant's face, knocking out a few of his teeth and sending him flying across the arena.

Yet another peasant came out of the mist, this time armed with a pitchfork. Andy's adrenaline began to course through his veins as he assessed the danger. Despite his earlier fighting, he was nowhere near an experienced warrior in combat. The earlier battle was simply his adrenaline and wild swinging, nothing more, and he had stumbled several times as he missed some of his swings.

He had barely any time to think as he brought up his shield once again.

 _CLANG!_

The pitchfork rammed into the shield, causing metal to grate upon metal, and the force behind it knocked Andy onto the ground this time. The peasant hovered over, raising the pitchfork up to bring down onto his face. In panic, Andy hurriedly swiped at the wooden portion of the pitchfork. His sword cracked the shaft, causing the peasant to stagger as his positioning was messed with.

 _SHICK!_

The peasant fell the edge of Andy's sword, and he choked as blood came gushing out of his mouth, dripping onto Andy's armor. Andy, who was mortified, heaved the body off of his sword, pushing it onto the ground next to him.

"Graaaaaggghhhh!"

A gravelly growl was heard from behind Andy. He turned around to see an armored, possessed human with a sword begin to stumble towards him, his body acting as if it was being yanked towards Andy with strings. As he got close, he brought his sword up, growling loudly. Andy didn't have enough time to bring up his shield, and so the figure brought down his sword.

 _PANG!_

The sword bounced off of Andy armor, causing the warrior to stumble backwards as it was thrown off-balance. Andy took this opportunity to move forward, eager to take out the-

 _SHICK!_

Andy lurched forward as a searing pain drove into his side. He fell to his knees, dropping the sword in his hand as he went to go hold the pain pulsating from his side. He looked down to see blood leaking out from inside his armor.

 _How?!_ Andy thought in panic.

He looked up to see one of the peasants he had knocked down had picked up the pitchfork and driven it into Andy's side, piercing in between the chainmail links and into Andy's skin.

In panic, Andy moved to grab his sword, but felt a strong kick to his face as the warrior that had staggered backwards regained his positioning and came forward, launching a kick into Andy's face. Andy fell backwards, holding his cheek, which was swelling from the sudden shock.

Before he knew it, Andy was now being surrounded, as more figures came shuffling and running out of the black mist. He looked up briefly to see a few more warriors and peasants begin to surround him, and then the assault began.

Immediately, Andy began to get kicked and punched all around his body as the figures started beating on him fiercely. Pain resonated from every part of his body as blows were landed.

Fear built up quickly in Andy as he realized that he was, in fact, being beaten to death. His skin was swelling with bruises, and blood was still pouring out from the wound in his side. He could see the sand stain red as his blood poured down onto the grainy substance. The onslaught of kicking and punching continued.

As Andy took a hard hit to the head, he could feel his consciousness begin to fade slowly. A headache began to develop, so that he could barely think as the pain persisted, and the beating continued.

Faintly, Andy could hear the cries of terror and anger from his followers, who could do nothing but watch his beating continue on from the stands. A cackling sound was faintly heard, from what Andy could only assume was that figure at the podium, laughing at Andy's slow death.

 _"Suffer your fates, scum! Your past crimes will be not be so easily forgotten here!"_

 _This must have been a trick,_ Andy thought hazily.

How could this happen?...

This couldn't...be….

His….consciousness was...fading….his eyes...were closing...

No...this couldn't….happen…

He was...just getting...started…

…

….

….

…..

….

….

 _ **W-e-e-e-a-a-a-a-k-k-k-k.**_

 _What the hell was that?!_

 _ **Y-o-u a-r-e w-e-a-k, A-n-d-y. Y-o-u w-i-l-l d-i-e h-e-r-e, y-o-u-r d-i-s-c-i-p-l-e-s l-o-s-t t-o t-h-i-s h-e-l-l-i-s-h m-a-z-e t-o s-u-f-f-e-r t-e-r-r-i-b-l-e f-a-t-e-s.**_

 _No...no! I have to do something! I have to-_

 ** _Y-O-U C-A-N-'-T, W-E-A-K-L-I-N-G!_**

Despite his near-death state, Andy felt the scratchy, demonic voice outburst inside his head, giving him a near-migraine.

 _Please…_

 ** _U-n-l-e-s-s...y-o-u a-l-l-o-w m-e t-o h-e-l-p._**

 _Who the hell are you…_

 ** _I h-e-l-p-e-d y-o-u e-a-r-l-i-e-r, A-n-d-y. T-h-a-t b-a-t-t-l-e w-a-s n-o-t f-r-o-m y-o-u-r s-t-r-e-n-g-t-h. I-t w-a-s o-n-l-y a d-r-o-p o-f m-y o-w-n. L-e-t m-e i-n, a-n-d I w-i-l-l g-i-v-e y-o-u a-l-l o-f m-y p-o-w-e-r t-o w-i-p-e t-h-e-s-e c-r-e-t-i-n-s o-u-t o-f e-x-i-s-t-e-n-c-e._**

Every word he spoke sounded stressed and hazy, like an interrupted radio signal.

 _I don't even know who you are, but you already sound untrustworthy-_

 _ **D-o y-o-u w-a-n-t t-o s-a-v-e t-h-o-s-e s-h-e-e-p o-r n-o-t, A-N-D-Y?**_

…

…

…

 _Yes._

 _ **T** **-h-e-n l-e-t m-e i-n.**_

This was a terrible struggle for Andy. He had no idea who this entity was, and he could enact terrible consequences. And yet...his other option was death.

 _Fine._

Immediately, Andy felt a terrifying, indescribable pain leech onto him, as if every pore of his body was being invaded by a dreadful, black energy, completely malevolent in nature. He could feel his veins coursing with something searing hot, yet invigorating unlike anything else. He felt a black and red tint around his vision, like tendrils creeping at the corners of his peripherals. His conscience snapped awake, as if someone had stabbed a hundred doses of adrenaline into his brain. An almost primeval instincts took dominance over his mind, and he let out a vitriolic, animalistic scream.

 ** _"REEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGHHHH!"_**

He snapped upwards, grabbing the ankle of a nearby enemy and, almost with ease, slung him around, bashing his whole body against the surrounding combatants, sending everyone flying backwards, before slinging the battered and broken enemy upwards and flinging him down like a ragdoll into the ground.

 ** _SLAM-CRUNCH!_**

The enemy turned into mush as he impacted into the ground with the force of a cannon shot, his ankle snapping off in Andy's grip. Almost in contempt, Andy tossed the bloodied ankle aside, focusing his sights on a nearby peasant, who was shuffling forward to attack with a club. Andy aimed a kick at the side of his kneecap.

 _ **CRUNCH!**_

The kick shattered the enemy's entire knee, the force so unnaturally strong that the entire leg below the knee exploded in the direction of the kick, with bone, flesh and sinew sprawling across the arena floor. The possessed enemy screamed in agony as it fell to the side, holding its amputated leg. Without hesitation, Andy swiftly stepped forward and raised one foot over the man's head, bringing it down sharply.

 _ **CRACK!**_

The sheer force behind Andy's stomp shattered the peasant's skull, killing him immediately from blunt force trauma and sending his flesh and muscle flying out from the sides. The figures that had previously been surrounding Andy were momentarily shocked by the sudden action from Andy, who used this precious time to launch a hard jab into the face of a warrior.

 _ **SMACK!**_

As if reinforced by a cement truck, the punch sent the warrior flying back, crashing into the sand. In another second, Andy bent down, grabbed his sword, and swiped upwards as he stood up, slicing the face of one warrior, who staggered back, clutching at its face in pain.

Andy felt focused, supernaturally focused. He felt his body lightning reflexes, nearly limitless energy, and unrivaled dexterity. He directed his attention to the next target, who had moved to swing at him with a sword. Andy brought up his shield, tilting it slightly, which caused the sword to glide downwards and impact into the sand. As the warrior was thrown off-balance, Andy dashed forward, slamming his shield into the warrior, which caused him to fall back onto the sand. Andy wasted no time bringing his sword up, pointing the sharp end downwards at the warrior, and shoving it into the warrior's chest. The warrior gasped as blood flooded into its lungs. In one swift motion, Andy pulled out the sword, flipping the hilt so that he was holding the sword upright once more.

The crowd's reactions went from horrified cries to shocked, almost feral cheering. Andy paid no attention to this, his mind purely focused on slaughtering the scores of enemies flooding out of the black mist around him.

The battle went on, with Andy effortlessly striking down enemies left and right, stabbing into vulnerable skin, slicing at their limbs, and stabbing straight through torsos. At one point, a fully-armored knight came bearing down on him, in which Andy simply stepped to the side lightly, leaving the knight to drive himself straight off the edge and into the water below. As he plummeted into the water, Andy caught a glimpse of several monstrous fish tearing off the knight's limbs almost with ease. If Andy were not coursing with this newfound power, he would have surely been shaken by that sight.

The battle went on for minutes as Andy slaughtered countless enemies left and right, using his shield and sword. It almost became instinctive as Andy struck down his foes, weaving his sword around as a painter would use a brush on an empty canvas.

Pretty soon, Andy was almost unaware of his own actions, as if he was completely possessed by another force. The malevolent energy coursing through his very being fueled his bloodlust.

Finally, within a dozen minutes, the field was unnaturally still, with the corpses of his enemies piled on top of each other, the mist of battle floating lightly in the air. The stench of the bodies was so powerful and sickening that it even reached the audience members, who leered back and covered their noses. Yet Andy stood amongst the bodies, still pumping through his body. He looked around rapidly, scanning for anyone daring to present a challenge to him.

Finally, after a few more moments, his adrenaline receded, and Andy was left with an overwhelming sense of fatigue. He dropped to his knees, planting the edge of his sword into the ground to support him. His limbs shook uncontrollably, utterly exhausted from the long fight.

 _"What in the pits of Hell was that?!"_

Andy brought his head up to peer up at the figure, who was staring in shock at the corpse-littered arena before him.

 _"This...this is..."_

Andy pointed his sword at the figure shivering at the viewing stand, a few meters upward.

 _ **"Y-o-u-'-r-e n-e-x-t, s-h-e-e-p."**_

Andy was shocked at the voice that came out of his mouth. It sounded just like the voice that was talking in his head earlier. Meanwhile, the figure standing at the top leered back at the threat, seemingly trembling with fear and rage.

 _"I...I will not...stand for this! You should have died, fiend! You, along with every other one of those scum sitting in the audience! Murderers, thieves, rapists...all of you should be rotting in this place! You CANNOT leave!"_

The figure began making signs in the air, as if summoning something.

 _"Man-beast, O Hellish Spawn of the Pits, come forth and wreak havoc and bloodshed upon these Grounds!"_

A pitch-black vapor began to develop and swirl around the opposite edge of the arena, where Andy had entered from prior. What stepped out from the shadows was truly horrifying. The same thing that Andy had seen in the first room behind the first door he had opened...there it was. Humanoid in appearance, over eight feet tall. Its feet were hooves, yet it had human hands, which held enormous axes in both. Its eyes glared at Andy, and it roared in anger.

 ** _T-h-i-s i-s g-o-o-d._**

"What do you mean-"

 _ **H-e-r-e i-s y-o-u-r o-p-p-o-r-t-u-n-i-t-y.**_

Andy looked at the manbeast, then back towards the podium. A frivolous idea popped into his head.

Predictably, the manbeast took off from its spot, charging forward towards Andy. Andy got up, standing there. The crowd shouted for him to move, yet he ignored their desperate warnings.

Ten meters.

The manbeast was speeding up, pointing its horns towards Andy.

Five meters.

Its hooves kicked up mounds of sand into the air, leaving a trail behind it. Andy still stood in his place.

Two meters.

Finally, Andy dove to the left, leaving the manbeast to quickly turn on its hooves to avoid falling into the water. It came a stop, mere inches from the edge.

 _SHICK!_

The manbeast roared in pain as a sword came stabbing down into its back. Andy had jumped up in his suit and shoved the blade into its flesh hard, breaking past the rough skin. It flailed around, trying to reach back and get rid of the wound. Andy held on to the handle with both hands, using all of his strength to stay on.

Finally, the manbeast lurched forward, thrusting itself towards the edge. Andy used this momentum to thrust himself forward, up towards the podium. His sword was yanked out of the manbeast, who plummeted into the water below.

Time slowed down. The bewildered expressions of the crowd onlookers gazed on as Andy brought his sword up with both hands, then down in a stabbing motion towards the figure at the podium. In its last moments, Andy could see panic and shock envelope its face.

 _ **SLAM!**_

Andy's sword pierced through the figure's chest, the edge slamming into the ground below with a powerful crack! Blood spattered in every direction from the figure. Andy let go of the sword handle and flew over the figure as his momentum thrusted him across the podium. He smashed into the floor, a couple feet behind the figure.

Dazed, he brought his head up to see the impaled individual. The end of the sword was embedded into the stone below, cracks running around its sides. The blade of the sword ran through the center of the figure's chest, blood leaking down the sword and dropping into the stone below. The hilt was jutting out of its chest. It looked at the sword in its chest in shock, gasping for air.

 _"Wh….what? This….wasn't supposed to…"_

Within seconds, it lost its breath, choking on its own blood. Finally, after a few moments, it slumped against the sword, lifeless.

 _Clink._

Andy heard something from above, and looked up to see a figure falling down towards him.

 _BOOSH!_

He let out a loud groan as the girl trapped in the cage came down on him, slamming into his chest. He wheezed as the air was knocked out of him. After a few seconds of recovering his breath, he brought himself up and looked down at the girl in his arms.

She was extraordinarily beautiful. Her long, black hair billowed over her shoulders, riddled with dirt and muck. Her eyelids fluttered, as she was barely conscious, but Andy could see unnaturally bright red eyes from underneath. She was about the same height as Andy.

Before Andy could do anything else, he felt the entire complex begin to shake violently, as if there was an earthquake going on. He staggered around, holding the girl in his arms as he moved towards the balcony of the podium.

As he got to the front, the shaking got even more violent, and he could see stone breaking from the walls and ceiling and cascading onto the ground, causing mayhem. From the balcony, he looked around to see his followers scampering around in fear, trying to avoid getting squashed.

Without further warning, blinding light shone from the cracks in the walls, the ceiling, and the floors. As more and more pieces came off, the light grew. Meanwhile, the voice in his head was cackling in victory.

 ** _Y-e-s, Y-E-S! I h-a-v-e f-i-n-a-l-l-y e-s-c-a-p-e-d t-h-i-s w-r-e-t-c-h-e-d a-b-y-s-s._**

"The hell are you talking about?! The place is coming down on-"

 _ **I w-i-l-l s-e-e y-o-u o-n t-h-e o-t-h-e-r s-i-d-e, A-n-d-y.**_

In utter confusion and panic, Andy fell to his knees, looking down at the girl in his arms. He embraced her, and soon the noises of crumbling rock and panicked yelling faded as Andy closed his eyes, accepting whatever fate was to come from this.

 _ **I l-o-o-k f-o-r-w-a-r-d t-o o-u-r p-a-r-t-n-e-r-s-h-i-p.**_

* * *

 **Author Notes:**

\- If you should receive a notification that says 'chapter (blank) has come out', that sometimes happens when I re-edit chapters. Apologies if it pops up more than once, I try to keep re-edits to a minimum.


	21. Chapter IX: The Raid (Part 1)

_The ambience for this chapter includes the following on YouTube:_

 _\- Crowd panic sound effect_

 _\- Big house fire sound effect_

 _\- Darkest Dungeon: Town in Chaos_

 ** _Make sure to put on those soundtracks while reading the second half of this chapter for maximum immersion._**

 ** _With that said, enjoy the chapter._**

* * *

 **Chapter IX: The Raid (Part 1)**

"Ey, Monika, We, uh, need to talk."

Monika looked up at Rulf, who had been calling to her from the side door of the cabin. She was currently in the process of feeding the duck at the pond, and was thoroughly enjoying it. However, she found a billion times more enjoyment out of hearing her love call her name. The last thing she wanted was to displease him.

"Coming over, Rulf!"

She got up, and the duck quacked in protest. Monika looked back, a sad expression on her face.

She remembered the first time she had met Nigel the duck. The day after they had come out of the cabin after that terrible storm, the duck was just...sitting in the pond, right next to a fallen tree. From that point on, the two developed a wonderful relationship.

"I'm sorry, Nigel, but I have to go now. My lover is calling for me."

Nigel shook his bill in disappointment, clearly unhappy that she was dedicating her time to that chode instead of feeding Nigel the Magnificent.  
Monika got up and headed towards the cabin. As she came up, she noticed the slightly off-tilt stance of Rulf, as if he was getting ready to make a run for it at the first sign of danger (or authorities). Over the past few weeks, Monika had been analyzing Rulf's behavior, and she was quite intrigued to find that it actually varied. It wasn't any sort of mundane pattern, but rather switched based on what people he was around. With normal strangers, Rulf would adopt a very reserved and secretive sort of mannerism, often avoiding eye contact. With people he was acquainted with, or knew, he was more open, though still kept on guard.

She had not a clue how he acted around friends, as he did not keep the company of any of those thus far. And yet, she was both surprised and jubilant to see that around her, Rulf barely held any sort of reserves back. With her, he was almost open and confessional all the time. When they encountered people in public, Rulf later told her what he thought about them. Whenever he had someone to complain or gripe about, he told it to her.

He seemed to find her to be the most trustworthy source out of anyone else, and that idea made her so amazingly happy.

"Hey, uh, come here for a second." He muttered, waving his hand subtly into the cabin.

"Why into the cabin?"

Rulf narrowed his eyes, peering over at the duck, who seemed to be peering back at him.

"Because I don't trust the beady little eyes on that Hekkspawn." Rulf hissed.

Monika found this relationship between Rulf and the duck to be quite hilarious, but nonetheless, she wanted to keep running the joke, and made a serious face.

"I see. Then let's get inside and away from this….Hekkspawn. What does that mean, by the way-"

"I'll tell you inside."

As Monika entered the cabin, Rulf peered once more at the duck.

"Little f*cker."

"Quack, Quack."

Rulf was sure the duck had insulted him, and vowed to later snipe the little sh*t with a bow. He closed the door behind him and looked back at Monika, who was sitting in front of the crackling fireplace. Rulf took up a chair beside her.

"What's the date today?" Monika suddenly inquired.

"The date? Er...I think it's...Hampday, in Jonsonary."

 _What did he just say?_ Monika thought to herself.

"Um...what does that mean? Like, is Hampday a day of the week or something?"

"Yeah, it's the third day of the week. Not the business week, mind you."

"What's a business week?"

"A business week is five days, from Luneday to Lasday."

"Oh, so like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday."

"What? No, it's Luneday, Secday, Hampday, Telsday, Lasday, Satrinaday, and Solday- look, we're getting off-track!" Rulf huffed.

To Monika's surprise, Rulf brought up a bag that he was holding in his hand and rifled through it, taking out a leather belt with a knife holstered. He handed it to Monika, who took it, inspecting it carefully.

"Since it seems like you're staying for the long run, I took the liberty some supplies for you. Weaponry, a drinking pouch, so you can stop drinking out of _mine_ , for Tog's sake, a cloak, for travel, and, uh, some proper clothing. You've been wearing my clothes for way too long, by now."

Rulf handed over the water pouch and then the clothes. Monika inspected it, marveling over it.

It was a dress with a long skirt and a lace-up in the middle, with light green undertones on the outer layer and dark green undertones on the bottom layer.

"You'll need these too." Rulf said, dropping a pair of leather shoes on the floor.

"This is...great. Thank you, Rulf!"

Rulf, who was unused to compliments and gratitude, opted to bow his head slightly.

"Well, uh...you're welcome. But, uh, there's also this…"

He then took out another set of clothing, consisting of a lace-up white blouse, a dark-green button-up vest, a pair of fingerless black gloves, brown leather boots, and some odd, elongated dark-green pads.

"What are these?" She inquired.

"Those are 'bracers', You slide them onto your forearms, and they protect your forearms from getting slapped while you use a bow."

"A bow?"

"Tog, did you live in a hole your whole life? A bow is...well… here."

Rulf got up and walked over to his bed, then reached behind it to pull out an unstrung bow, walking back over and presenting it to Monika.  
" _This_ is a bow. You put an arrow on it and shoot it at something, preferably small animals to hunt, or a person if need be to defend yourself."

Monika marveled at the simple object, much to Rulf's confusion. Her reaction to many insignificant or common objects or sights was reminiscent to a vagabond finding a bag of gold. She seemed to absolutely love everything, like she had gotten little exposure in all her life.

At the same time, though, it was a bit fascinating to Rulf, whose perspective on most things was often dull or uninteresting.

"Anyways, I got you this separate outfit, because obviously you can't be running about the lands in a dress all the time."

Monika looked up at Rulf, her eyes shimmering ever so softly, her smile glowing.

"Why'd you get me a dress, then?" She asked.

"Because...you know…"

Monika's grin was absolutely encapsulating, and once again Rulf felt his heart start to pound as he thought about this girl.

 _She's doing mental tricks on you,_ Rulf thought to himself, trying to separate himself from this bewitching spell.

"A-Anyways, I'm gonna teach you how to use the knife and bow, so let's get to it."

Monika nodded, getting up from the seat as Rulf led her outside. There, they began the practice in the grassy area, which also served as a bank to the small pond that resided next to the cabin.

"So, Monika, put on your holster first."

"Okay, Rulf."

She was beginning to go through with it, before realizing that she didn't know how to do that. Rulf quickly spotted this and chided himself for forgetting about her naivete.

"Here, let me show you." He said, walking over and taking the holster from her, then reaching around her waist and looping the belt through the clasp, finally tightening it. He stepped back and inspected her while she looked down at the new attachment that was fastened to her.

"Wow...I've never worn any accessories before, much less gear like this." She remarked, feeling the crafted leather of the belt. It wasn't very smooth, and someone well-acquainted with crafting might say that the belt was not of high-quality, which was to be expected from a low-cost belt (a result of Rulf's frugal nature)...

But she loved it nonetheless.

"Alright, let's begin." Rulf stated, unsheathing his dagger and presenting it to Monika.

"This thing is sharp. It can cut and stab."

"I don't mean to anger you, Rulf, but I am familiar with knives." Monika said, much to Rulf's irritation.

"Why do you have an understanding of knives, but not _trees_ or _birds?"_ Rulf muttered to himself. Nonetheless, he continued.

"Anyways, you obviously need to be careful around these. You can't go wielding it when you want, because you can scare or anger people. _Always_ be aware of your surroundings, and gauge the right time to pull it out. For example, if you ever get in a brawl- or in your case, a catfight (I'd hope)- you don't pull out the dagger. That's taking things too far."

Monika nodded in understanding.

"Only use it if your life is being threatened, or if I tell you to…" Rulf added in that last line for his own benefit, as he might be doing some shady work that would not call for a 'life-threatening' situation.

Monika nodded once more.

"Good. Now, go ahead and pull yours out and give it a few swings."

Monika did so, pulling out her own knife and looking at it. The blade looked well-crafted, having a spear-point end to it.

"That dagger cost me quite a bit, so take good care of it. You'll have to use a whetstone to sharpen oil, and clean it, and i'll show you how later. So, back to the lesson. There are two types of attacks with a dagger: slashing, and stabbing. Of course, there is also smacking someone with the butt of the knife, but that's besides the point. I would hope you know what 'slicing' and 'stabbing' are, so we'll continue on to when it's best to use them. If you are facing someone with little-no armor on, for example someone wearing only a leather vest, then slashing would be the more ideal, as you could get quicker attacks in, and you won't leave yourself vulnerable as much. A couple slices on the skin can scare an opponent and cause them to bleed, which does well to weaken them. However, if your opponent is has _more_ armor on, it's more useful to stab at exposed or weak areas of them. For example, someone wearing chainmail as small little holes in their armor that you can poke through and stab. Stabs are pretty damn effective for gutting a poor sod, because it screws up their insides and stuff, so it's gonna do more damage. Do keep in mind, though, that if you miss a stab, you risk opening yourself to an attack, as you won't have time to block, parry, or evade."

From there, Rulf went on with the lesson, explaining the logistics of and how to wield a knife, as well as some other minor points.

"You think you got a good grasp of all that?" Rulf questioned, having finished his little rant.

"Yes, Rulf."

"Alright then, go ahead and slice the air real quick."

Monika did so, slicing her knife through the air. Rulf noted the lack of power behind it, though it there was plenty of finesse and accuracy behind the swing. He explained this point to Monika, and she nodded once more.

"Alright, go ahead and try once more."

 _ **Whoosh.**_

"F*ck me, what the Hekk..."

The second time she had sliced through the air, it carried a surprising amount of power behind it, the blade of the dagger whistling through the air loudly.

"You got some wiry strength there, my Tog."

Monika grinned, bringing her hands up to her face in glee.

"Did I do it right? Did I?"

"Yes you did, and for Tog's sake, watch where you wield that thing! You're gonna cut your bloody face off like that. Anyways, now we'll go with the stabbing technique."

They repeated the same for the stab, and once more Rulf was taken aback by how masterfully she was able to perform the action. Her stab was so centered, it could have struck the balls off a fly, and the power behind it would have given said fly a complete vasectomy.

"Well, I have to admit...I am impressed."

"You are?!" Monika squealed, hopping up and down slightly.

 _What is she doing?_ Rulf thought to himself, despite finding it to be quite cute.  
"Y-Yeah...so, with that said, we'll move on to the bow, and that shouldn't take long, considering how well your form and technique with the dagger is."

And it didn't at all. At most, it took about 10 minutes to get through the lesson, and most of that was explanation. Rulf was continually bewildered by how many times Monika had hit the center of a little bundle of hay that Rulf had initially bought for practice for him and Monika.

 _What a waste of money,_ Rulf thought to himself miserably. If he had been aware of how well Monika had adapted, he wouldn't have bought the damn thing. _Well, at least I can use it for practice._

"Alright, I guess that pretty much sums up the, uh, weapons training."

Monika pumped her fist, a gesture that Rulf was not aware nor familiar with at all.

"Yes!" She exclaimed, looking up at Rulf once more. "This is so cool! Thank you, Rulf!"

"Alright, calm down, ya? I just taught you how 'ta do some very simplistic things."

"But you took the time to do it for _me_ , Rulf. I am so happy that you did that."

Rulf was humbled by her statement. He didn't much know what to say, a recent trend that he was not fond of.

"Alright, well, there's one more thing we need to discuss before we get on with the general news."

Monika was curious about that. Everyday, since they had met, Rulf made it a task to go into town and listen in on rumors or events stated by people and government officials so as to keep track of the goings-on around the nation. Monika was captivated by all the rumors and stories Rulf told her, and it was one of the main highlights of her day. Listening to intriguing rumors and stories from the light of her world was truly something she cherished.

"What would that be?" Monika asked.

"Come inside the cabin, and we'll talk."

The two made their way in, and Rulf took up a chair and seated it next to the one adjacent to the fireplace. Monika took a seat, and suddenly grabbed Rulf by the hand, which threw him off his mojo. She had been doing this very often at random times of the day, and was followed by her staring into his eyes with an expression on her face that Rulf couldn't explain. Though it was somewhat alarming at times, Rulf secretly didn't mind the action.

"M-Monika, please…"

Monika continued gazing at him, and Rulf almost got lost in her shifting, kaleidoscopic emerald-green eyes again. He shook his head adamantly to force himself out of the trance-like state.

"Alright, listen." He said, seating her and then taking up his own. "We need to talk about...morality."

"Morality?"

"Yes. I've noticed, in the past few weeks, that...um...you don't seem to have a solid grasp of 'right' and 'wrong.'"

Monika seemed hurt by his analogy, her eyes looking down at the ground in shame.

"Did I...do something wrong?"

"Well...when those, uh, singing bandits mugged us on the trail...I mean, what you did _was_ justified, to a certain extent, but...you were so...violent...anyways, look, you did no wrong by me. I just want to make sure that...that you have a grasp of what is right and wrong."

Monika nodded slowly, realizing what he was saying. She wasn't particularly taken by surprise with this observation of Rulf's, as she had undoubtedly done some questionable things in her past. This made her further wonder if she had lost her moral compass.

"So...I guess, uh, to start this off, I'll ask you some questions about...stuff."

"Okay, Rulf."

That was another thing that he had noticed. Monika barely went with saying anything regarding him without addressing him by name, as if she treasured it. It confused Rulf, and it messed with his heart.

"So, um...first question. Do you think it's right to kill someone, in certain circumstances?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"To defend yourself, to defend your loved ones, and…"

"..And?"

Monika seemed unsure of whether she wanted to share the last bit of information.

"Monika, you can be honest with me. I will be honest with you (in most cases), so don't be afraid to-"

"If they take you away from me." She uttered.

Rulf was once more silenced by her statement.

"...As in, my life…?"

"No...I mean in any way. If another woman tries to take you from me…"

"...Oh. Well, uh, um…"

Rulf truly did not know how to answer that.

 _So...Monika...loves me…_

"So...you...love me?" Rulf's line of questioning had diverged all of a sudden, but he was too emotionally distressed by what Monika was saying as a result of it.

"Yes, Rulf. I love you. I love you more than anything in this world, or any other world. I love you so much that it hurts my heart when I'm not around you. I _love_ you."

Rulf said nothing. He couldn't say anything.

 _WHAT THE F*CK?! WHAT THE F*CK-_ his mind was racing, his heart pounding. He had never, in all his life, been confronted with love like this. _Nothing_ had ever even come _close_ to dealing with such raw emotion before. Now, he didn't know what the _hell_ to do.

"Um...so, next question-"

 _Really? REALLY?_

Monika seemed somewhat surprised by the sudden revert back to their original conversation, but laughed out loud at the ridiculous timing of it.

"You know, I'll uh, I'll just save this whole 'morality' thing for later. Let's, uh, go over the news."

"What you'd like to do, Rulf." She said, smiling warmly.

 _This woman is gonna give me a heart attack,_ Rulf thought to himself.

"Alright, let me get the feather and some parchment…"

Every time Rulf came home with the rumors, he wrote them down on a parchment that he kept specifically to keep track of what rumors he could confirm and which he could dismiss. After all, he didn't have a vast memory storage to start off with, so this was especially useful for future ventures.

"Now, let's go over what I can remember..." Connor said as he took up the feather and parchment that Monika gave to him. She took up the seat across from him at the table as she waited for him to begin.

"So...we got, um...oh, right. Apparently, there's this Adventurer's Guild that's gonna open up in Dawnusk." He wrote it down, and Monika was prompted to ask him about the subject.

"What is an Adventure Guild?"

"So...I've only heard this from a couple sources, and it's relatively new, but...basically, it's a guild of people who go out and are paid for exploring and charting out unexplored or unmapped parts of the country, as well as for any monsters they kill."

"Wait, 'unexplored' and 'unmapped'? You mean there's parts of this nation that aren't known yet?"

"Are you kidding me? This world is so f*cking huge, that they charted out for there to be _regions_ in each _nation_ of each _country_ of each _continent_. It would take me _years_ just to walk across _one_ region. This world is f*cking massive."

Actually, he wasn't sure about that example he just gave. It may have been a hyperbole, but the point stood nonetheless.

The idea of a vast, unexplored world was the most exciting thing to Monika. Going from having nothing to explore to everything was an exciting prospect, and it left her in a much better mood than before, which was pretty hard to top.

"How do they track what monsters a person has killed?" Monika inquired, addressing the second part of what he had stated. She had the idea that a monster was quite large, and dragging around something like that definitely seemed unrealistic to her.

"Well, they usually cut off something that is unique to that monster, then bring it back to the Guild Hall and show it for cash. Whatever type of monster was killed determines how much you're paid."

"Wow, that sounds really cool! Why don't we do that?"

"Uh...I…"

 _SH*T, I didn't expect that,_ Rulf thought in panic. _Quick, come up with an excuse!_

"...They have, uh, very unsteady incomes-"

"Does it matter much? We'd only need supplies for food and water and a couple other essentials. I don't see it being costly."

"-It would mean that we go through uncharted territory-"

"I always wanted to explore this world. It looks so _amazing_."

"-And it'd be dangerous!"

Monika hesitated at that realization.

 _Dangerous, huh?_ She thought to herself.

Being brought into such a wonderful world from nothing but a depraved one, the very idea of death was more terrifying than any other possibility by far. And considering how ambiguous the idea of her having a soul was…

She didn't want to think about it.

Rulf noticed her fearful expression, and felt bad about having to frighten her.

"H-Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intimidate you. I just...Besides, traveling a lot would mean that Nigel would be alone." He said jokefully.

 _Why the f*ck did you have to tack that on? Who CARES about that dumbass feathered gremlin?!_ Rulf chided himself.

Monika giggled. "I didn't know you cared for the duck, Rulf. Are you secretly a tsundere?"

"A...A what?"

"It's an inside joke."

 _Who are you sharing the joke with?_ Rulf thought.

"So, what else?"

"Oh, uh…" He quickly wrote down what he said prior before moving on to the next rumor. "Now, this is a good follow-up to my point of this world being massive- apparently, in Bauzyntinum, some people reported that in some Pary-something Mountains, some of the mountains are supposedly 'moving around', which sounds pretty f*ckin' scary. But we don't need to worry about that, since it's entire nations away…"

Rulf took a moment to recall the next rumor.

"There's been more piracy in Drenmak, that coastal nation, but that's nothing new. They're right across from the viking land. Oh! Also, there's been some sightings of some 'terrifying monster' drifting around in the Blood Sea. So that's a no for any sea adventures right now."

He could hear a sigh of disappointment from across the table, which made him wonder about the mental state of Monika.

"And...that's about all I remember. Wait, no...there was that dragon."

"There are dragons in this world?!" Monika exclaimed, shooting up from the chair, which startled Rulf.

"Uh, y-yeah, why the Hekk would that make you happy? Wait, how do you know what a drag- you know what, nevermind. I'm not gonna question it any longer."

Rulf put down the parchment, looking over it.

"Yep. That's all I remember. Tog, there's a lot going on right now…"

"What is 'Tog'?" Monika asked him suddenly. She had a faint idea of what it was, but she wanted to confirm. Rulf directed his attention to her.

"Well, I should have expected that question eventually. 'Tog' is...well...a, uh…"

 _How do I explain this?_

"Is it a form of a deity?" Monika suggested.

"A deity?...Um...oh, yeah. That." Rulf had heard that word used by nobles once, and he assumed it pertained to what he was talking about. "But, yeah, it's something that's worshipped by a lot of people. Judging by your expression, you know what I'm talking about, then."

"So, it's 'God' in your world." Monika muttered to herself.

"Uh, yeah...if that's what you call Him."

"Do you worship Him?"

"Wow, that came out of nowhere. Um...yes."

"Why?"

"Why do you feel pressed to talk about this right now?"

"Oh, sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No, it's just...eugh, you need to pick appropriate times to ask this type of stuff, or sometimes just don't go into something like that."

"I don't mean to anger you, Rulf, but I'm just curious."

Rulf grunted at that statement.

"That's another thing you need to be careful of, Monika."

"My curiosity?"

Rulf nodded. "I don't mind when you go into questioning and observing and stuff like that, but sometimes it's smart to keep your nose out of other people's business, or rather not be so 'curious'. We have a saying in our world, that 'curiosity-'"

 _Killed the cat,_ Monika thought to herself.

"'-Killed the king."

 _Close enough,_ Monika thought.

"Anyways, with that said…" Rulf got up and looked out the window. The sun was starting to set over the horizon. "...We should get some extra food and supplies from town, since we got a large sum of money left from that payment from the noble."

"You mean the money you got from that goatman hunt?" Monika teased.

"I'm serious, that thing existed, Togdamnit! Alright, whatever, let's get going."

* * *

"Whew!" Sayori sighed, wiping her forehead. It had been a hard day of trading in the stall, working with Wesley. "We got quite the haul today, huh?"

Wesley nodded, hunched over as he was counting the coin they had received.

"Yep. Definitely a good bit of money we got here."

He straightened himself back up and stretched, and Sayori heard audible cracking of his spine.

"Aaaaaah. Yeah, i'm done for the day. Let's pack it up-"

"Why, hello there, thir and madam."

Sayori looked over at the person who had just arrived at their stall. It was a young man wearing regal clothing, with two guards behind him. Sayori noticed Wesley immediately bow towards the man.

"It's an honor to have you at my stall, sir…"

"Thid. Thid Cartigan."

"...Heh?"

The noble sighed, realizing what the problem was.

"Eth-Eye-Dee. Thid."

"Oh, _Sid_. Right. Sorry, sir."

"It'th fine. Now, I need to thet up an account with the Ketrikan Trade Company."

"Of course. How much would you like to invest for the set-up?" Wesley asked, picking up his feather pen and readying the parchment.

"Thive crownth, theventhy thive pounth, thwo-hunthreth and thithy thillingth, thive-thouthanth penth, and thivithe the penth into one-hunthreth tenth and thwo-hunthreth thenth."

"...Could you, uh...repeat that?"

* * *

"E-Excuse me, sir...uh...um, do you have any, uh, small sizes for those leggings?" Natsuki stuttered as she came up to the stall vendor, who glanced at her and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why the Hekk are you wearing battle clothing? Tog, how young are they recruiting for the army?"

Natsuki sighed in frustration. At this point, she had heard so many jabs because of her length that it was just not worth getting angry over anymore.

She noticed a terrifyingly large shadow appear in from the left of her and immediately recognized it.  
"Why, Mr. Vendor, are you apt to granting this woman's humble request?"

"For the love of Tog, I don't have time for these semanti-OH SH*T!" The vendor yelped as he turned around to greet the monstrous figure that towered over Natsuki, looking down at him with a heroic grin, though his eyes were much harsher than he was revealing at face value.  
"Do you need to hear the request _again_ , Mr. Vendor?" The tone behind Malin's sentence was borderline condescending, despite his polite statement.

"U-Um, ye-yes! Let me, uh, let me find that…"

As he was nervously rummaging through his set of tailored clothing, Natsuki looked up at Malin. There was something deeply satisfying about having a 7-foot tall bodyguard with her at all times. It meant that no one took her lightly anymore, that was for sure.

Meanwhile, Malin craned his head over and peered at the bright ball of flame setting over the horizon.

"It doth look like to me that night is arriving upon us shortly. We should be back to the tavern after this."

Natsuki nodded in agreement. After that time in the Mistwood Forest, she didn't want anything to do with nighttime outside.

* * *

"H-Hey, Wolfe…"

"Yes?"

"Do...does anyone in this….town...sell...horror books…?"

"... _What?"_

Yuri blushed as she looked down in embarrassment.

"N-Nevermind, s-sorry…"

"What is a 'horror book'?"

"I-It's nothing….nothing important…"

"I am legitimately intrigued as to what you were referring to just then, but I'll ask you later. For now, we need to get some seeds, preferably barley and rye."

"...Okay." She mewed.

Wolfe looked to the horizon, noticing the dropping sun. For some odd reason, his senses were tingling...usually when something bad was bound to happen…

"Let's get going home after we buy this. I'm not feeling too good about this night…"

* * *

Rulf was perusing the market stalls, which were dying down, when he noticed a smoke rising up from further inside town.

"Must be a...actually, that's not common at all. What the Hekk?"

Monika came up behind him, her gaze also focused on the smoke.

"That doesn't look good…"

Rulf nodded. He had a _bad_ feeling about this.

"We should get going. We can always buy supplies tomorrow-"

 _Shick._

Rulf heard the sound of flesh being stabbed, and he turned pale, whipping around towards Monika in terror. He was insanely relieved to see that it was not her where the sound had come from.

Then he looked next to her, a guy that was standing there, wide-eyed. He crumpled to the ground, and behind him stood a hooded figure, the blood of their victim dripping from the dagger he held in his hand.

" _AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"_

The market square immediately exploded into pandemonium as random passerby left and right started stabbing and slicing at civilians, and Rulf whipped out his knife as he grabbed Monika by the arm.

"Get out your knife and let's go NOW!"

Monika did so without hesitation, unsheathing her knife. They began to run out of the market, and Rulf came face-to-face with one of the psychotic killers, who was brandishing a bloodied dagger in his hand and grinning malevolently.

Without hesitation, Rulf dashed forward, plunging the knife into the psycho's chest. A sickening _crunch_ was heard, and the psycho fell to the ground, choking on his own blood. Monika stared at the body in shock.

" _Keep running!"_ Rulf yelled back, jerking Monika by the arm.

They continued zigzagging their way out of the market square and into the center of town, both of them watching civilians engage in fights left and right with the psychopaths. Monika was overcome with grief as she saw a mother get her throat slit by one of the psychos, who then grabbed for her daughter and brought the knife in to gut her.

" _Oh my god!_ Rulf, we need to help her!"

"No, Monika! We need to run- MONIKA!" He shouted in panic as she broke from his grasp, sprinting over towards the psycho, who was in the process of slicing the girl as she fell to the ground sobbing.

" _Mommy! Mommy, help! Please get up!"_

Monika felt rage begin to boil in her stomach, and in an act of savage anger, leapt onto the psycho, stabbing her knife straight into the psycho's cheek. He screamed in pain and fell over, and Monika lost grip of her knife as he writhed on the ground. The girl looked up at her, a thankful look in her eyes.

"MONIKA!"

Monika looked back to see Rulf rush up to her, anger and panic written on his face.

"We don't have _time_ for this! We need to get the _Hekk_ out of here!"

"But she needed my help! She was gonna die-"

" _Your life matters more to me than anyone else in this town!"_

Despite the chaotic and extremely dangerous situation they were in, Monika couldn't help but feel a strong pang in her heart as she heard this.

"SHIT! GET OUT OF THE WAY, MONIKA!" He shouted suddenly, pushing her aside suddenly as he grappled with another one of the psychos, who brought him to the ground.

" _RULF!"_ Monika screamed in panic. Her fear and rage mixed and broiled in a pot, which finally burst forth as she witnessed her love's life become endangered

Without a second thought, she sprinted over and brought her hands around the psycho's face, grabbing the entirety of his head. Then, she took her index fingers and pressed them into his eyes _hard_. The psycho screamed in pain and agony as his eyes began to bleed.

" _ **DON'T FUCKING TOUCH MY LOVE, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"**_

Monika ripped out her fingers and shoved his head aside, leaving him to cry in pain as he writhed on the ground, his hands cupped over his face. Rulf got up, grabbing her by the arm once more.

"Let's go!"

"But the girl-"

"She'll be _fine!_ Look!" Rulf pointed past Monika, and she looked back to see the little girl had taken out the knife from the psycho's cheek and run off. "Now, let's _go!"_

With that said, the two sprinted for the edge of town, changing directions temporarily to run through alleyways and switch through streets as they saw packs of psychos blocking off certain roads.

Finally, they came to the edge of an overhang, the large river running below them. Rulf looked back to see a group of psychos were nearby, lurking around to find new prey.

"Fuck, fuck, FUCK! Alright, Monika, we're gonna jump in!"

" _What?_ Will we even survive that?!" She questioned, looking down fearfully at the flowing water.

"We'll have a better chance than trying to _fight_ our way out of here!"

Rulf took a breath, breathing in and out rapidly to get his adrenaline flowing.

"One, two, three- GO!"

With that, he jumped in, along with Monika, and they plummeted into the water.

For a couple moments, Monika's perception was full of panic as she only felt the running of water drag her along, disorienting her as she flowed through in the river.

Eventually, she was able to grab hold of the bank further down the river, and dragged herself onto the soil, coughing up all the water that got caught in her throat.

After a few moments of recovery, Monika looked around hazily, trying to find Rulf.

"Rulf? Rulf?! Where are you?!"

She got up groggily, looking around the bank in hopes of finding him.

"Rulf! RULF! OH MY GOD, WHERE ARE YOU! WHERE ARE-"

 _Thunk._

Monika felt something hard hit her in the back of the head, and her consciousness began to fade. She crumpled to the ground, the last sight being of some freakishly tall silhouette standing over her, cackling maniacally.  
" _How fortunate! We need to talk…"_


	22. Chapter X: The Raid (Part 2)

_For this chapter, you should use the following videos/ambience on YouTube for the chapter:_

 ** _For the first three sections of the chapter:_**

 _\- Darkest Dungeon: Town In Chaos Soundtrack_

 _\- Crowd Panicking sound effect_

 _\- Burning house/village_

 ** _For the fourth_ _section:_**

 _\- Anime horror soundtrack (Higurashi)_

 _\- Desert Cave Sounds_

 _\- Woman Sobbing sound effect_

 _With that said, please enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

 **Chapter X: The Raid (Part 2)**

"What is going on?!" Sayori said fearfully, seeing the pandemonium that had broken out over the market square.

People were running around in panic, smoke was billowing up from buildings and stalls, and she noticed a couple individuals running around, stabbing and slicing people at random.

"GET DOWN, SIRE!" Wesley shouted, vaulting over the stall counter and tackling a psychopath that had run up behind the noble at the front with a knife, in between the two guards. Wesley grunted in pain as the knife sliced his forearm, but he quickly recovered by bucking the psychopath in the face with a punch, knocking him to the ground. The guards quickly recovered from their shocked state, drawing their swords and hacking at the psychopath on the ground, who screamed in pain as he was killed violently. Wesley quickly unsheathed his knife, looking around quickly for any more of the violent wretches.

"We need to get out of here!" Wesley urged, glancing at Sayori, who was in the process of unsheathing her dagger.

"What about the civilians?!" She exclaimed in concern.

Wesley nodded. He didn't have a particular affinity for heroism, but if he was going to achieve his life-long goal, he couldn't be hypocritical in allowing preventable deaths.

"Alright, we can start by escorting the lord out, but anyone we see along the way we can save. We can lead people to the second layer of Dawnusk, as they have more security up there. Let's get going!"

"Wait, why don't we split up?" Sayori advised him. "That way, I can round up more-"

"No! I'm not losing you!"

Despite the terrifying circumstances, Sayori was frightened by how vehement that statement was. Wesley's face had contorted in panic and rage, and she was unsure why.

"Just follow me, and stay by my side the entire time! Okay?!"

"O...Okay."

"Now, let's get going!"

The lord came up behind Wesley, fear in his eyes.

"Th-Thank you for your help, kind thir! Pleathe, theliver me from thith mathacre!"

"Yeah, whatever you just said, just follow us! And have your guards take up the rear!"

The guards nodded, brandishing their swords as they covered the back of the group.

With that, they began running, making their way towards the second layer of the town, all the while encouraging civilians to join in their retreat.

Within a few minutes of running, amongst the panic, burning and killers, the group had gathered a larger swath of civilians, who had armed themselves or were already equipped with weaponry. This gave Wesley a flash of twisted brilliance as they came up to the second layer drawbridge, which was unsurprisingly pulled up as the alarm went off.

"Alright, Sire, you and the guards can get inside once they know it's you. I have another thing in mind."

"Prithee, be my guetht. And onthe again, thank you for enthuring my protecthion. Your act will not go unnotithed."

"...Yeah."

Wesley was relieved to be rid of this nearly-incoherent noble. He turned back to the group that was amassed, seeing a mix of sorrow and rage in their eyes. He had to suppress the urge to grin as he raised his hand, commanding the attention of this large group before him.

"Tell me this, friends, why the Hekk should we cower in fear behind castle walls when these cretins, these wretched scum have invaded our beautiful town, set fire to our houses, killed our friends and family?!"

He could see the faces of the citizens before him start to contort in rage as they began to reflect on what he had said.

"Yeah!"

"The scum!"

"We should kill them!"

As the last one piped up, Wesley almost let out a cackle of excitement. He didn't even need to fertilize the seed he had planted. Now, everyone was joining in with the idea that had been presented.

"He's exactly right!" Wesley urged. "We should kill them! There's enough of us, and if we stay close together, i'm sure we can not only save other citizens, but exterminate these vermin once and for ALL!"

 **"YEEEEAAAAHHHH!"** The townsfolk raised their weapons in raging fervor, and Wesley came down from the drawbridge, raising his dagger to the air as he made his way to the front of the pack.

Secretly, Wesley found this to be the perfect way to gather influence in the town. By appearing as the leader in fighting back against these forces, he would gain tons of traction in this town, which was already a bulwark in revolutionizing trade all over the continent.

"Let's show them what happens when you mess with the people of Dawnusk!"

 **"YEEAHHH!"**

Sayori followed close by the rage-induced citizenry, her knife drawn as she stayed wary of her environment. She inched closer to Wesley.

"Wesley, not that I'm against taking back the town for the citizens, but are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Sayori, did you notice anything particular about the psychopaths when we were fighting through them?"

Sayori looked up at him in question as he continued his facade of heroics.

"What about them?"

"They were lightly-armed and not very well-trained in combat. They use fear tactics to scare the citizenry in towns, and the main way for them to do that is through infiltration and surprise attacks on the innocents. They most likely could not take on well-trained guards, and their fear wouldn't work well against a bunch of citizenry whipped into a frenzy, now would it?"

Sayori realized what the point he was making, and nodded her head.

"That makes sense."

"Good. Now, I know you're not a fan of killing people, so you can go ahead and follow as we take back the motherland."

* * *

"HOLY SHIT, MALIN, THAT GUY JUST STABBED THAT GIRL!"

"Enough panicking, Natsuki, now is the time for action!" Malin declared as he unsheathed his broadsword and shouldered on his shield, immediately turning around to thrust the giant blade into one of the deviants, who was in the midst of preparing to kill a woman. The deviant looked down at the giant sword sticking through his stomach, and fell over as Malin pulled it out. The woman thrusted herself onto Malin, sobbing in relief.

"My husband! My children! They're stuck in our house! It's burning over there!" She pointed to a building a few feet away, the roof lit on fire. "Please, save them!"

"Fear not, maiden! They will be saved!" Malin declared, picking up Natsuki, who yelped in surprise, and running towards the burning building.

"L-Let me go, you idiot!"

"Not to embarrass you, comrade, but I doth not think you could keep up on foot, realistically-speaking."

As he got to the burning building, Malin dropped Natsuki on the ground, then sheathed his broadsword and stepped up to the house. Without warning, he brought his boot up and kicked the door, sending it flying inwards. Natsuki was intimidated by the sheer amount of strength needed to kick a full-on wooden door inwards only served to remind her of the absolute unit she was traveling with.

Malin immediately made his way inside, and after a couple moments, emerged with a man and two children in his arms, covered in ash, placing them precariously on the ground. The mother ran up and took hold of the man and children, crying in relief as they held her.

"Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!"

Malin flashed a heroic grin as he unsheathed his sword once more.

"It is no problem, maiden! Now, please stay behind me and I shall lead you to safety!"

She nodded, and Malin began making his way down the street as the family trailed behind. Natsuki came up to the forefront, looking up at Malin.

"Where are we going, Malin?"

"Frankly, I have no idea."

"Wh-What?! Then why-"

"We cannot just leave them there, Natsuki. They could die in this chaos, and I will not allow for the death of innocent lives!"

Natsuki had no rejoinder to that, so she remained silent, drawing her short sword and shield.

Along the way, Malin continued to save any civilians he saw nearby, cutting down the deviants like sheep. Natsuki noticed that as his killing went on, his face began to grow more and more sadistic, as if he was starting to enjoy it. It disturbed Natsuki immensely, but she didn't dare to comment on it right now.

Aside from that, Natsuki started to notice that some of the people he was saving started to refer to him as a 'brave hero' and 'leader', and started taking up their own weapons, joining him in the rescue. Before she knew it, Malin had amassed a small army of inspired citizenry, who were following their leader like a messiah.

 **"Show us the way!"**

 **"Let's take back our town!"**

 **"Kill the deviants!"**

To Natsuki's shock, even a few children were brandishing weaponry, as well as referring to Malin as 'the hero'.

As Malin and his band of self-employed warriors turned a corner on a large street, they came face-to-face with Wesley and his group of citizenry. Malin flashed a grin as he noticed what they were doing.

"I'm glad to see we're not the only ones ready to take back the town!" He declared, and both sides raised their weapons above their heads, shouting battle cries as they saw their fellow countrymen.

"LET'S KILL THE DEVIANTS!" Wesley shouted, followed by another battle cry of the citizenry, and the two group merged into one.

"S-Sayori?!"

"Natsuki?!"

Sayori gazed at Natsuki in shock, and Natsuki returned the stare. After a moment of surprise, they ran towards each other and hugged. Tears ran down their cheeks as they sobbed in relief.

"I-I'm so happy to see you!"

"I can't believe you're here!"

Malin took a moment to see the reunion, a bit confused, but Wesley decided to take advantage of this moment, despite not knowing who the other girl was.

"Look! Already, we're reuniting friends and family! Let's keep it up!"

 **"YEAH!"** The citizenry shouted in renewed determination, absolutely eating up Wesley's calls to action.

And so the pitched battle between the citizens and deviants continued.

* * *

"Why is it-"

 _Clang!_

"-That every single time-"

 _Crack!_

"-I come back to this wretched town-"

 _Shick!_

"-Something bad-"

 _Crunch!_

"-ALWAYS-"

 _Crunch!_

"-FUCKING-"

 _CRUNCH!_

"-HAPPENS!"

 ** _CRUNCH!_**

Wolfe slammed a deviant's head against the cobblestone road as he finished the statement, then got up, whipping his hand at the ground to clear off some of the blood. He looked up to see the midst of the chaos he was within. Civilians running in every direction in panic and fear, deviants running around, trying to find their next victims as blood spattered their clothing, buildings burning all across the first layer of the town. Yuri stood next to him, cowering in fear behind him as his knife trailed the air.

He was already severely pissed off that for the third time in a row, this damn town had some sort of bullshit event happening. The first time, he had gone to buy some seeds and to refine some of his farming equipment, the whole town was under a lockdown because of some 'Goatman' bullshit. Then, the second time, the stupid King's Day event was happening, so all of the market, blacksmiths, and shops were closed down for the day. Now, just as he thought he was finally going to be able to get by with selling his 'food preservation' idea to an investor-

"THIS FUCKING SHIT HAPPENS!" He shouted into the air, to which Yuri yelped in fright.

"W-Why d-did you y-yell, Wolfe?!" She mewed as she shivered behind his small form. "W-We sh-should g-get out of here!"

Wolfe rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation. One day, he thought to himself. I'm going to move to a nearby city where there isn't so much activity.

"Watch out, Wolfe!" Yuri shouted in panic, and Wolfe looked up to see a deviant running towards him, knife in hand.

To Wolfe, these guys were the most sub-par individuals he had ever come across in his days. Not only were they lightly-armed and armored, but their fighting skill were so egregious, it was like Wolfe was handling a bunch of children with daggers.

Wolfe moved only slightly, putting his foot out a bit as the deviant came up. He tripped over Wolfe's foot, his face smacking into the cobblestone below, and Wolfe kneeled and stabbed the dagger into his skull, killing him instantly.

"Alright, let's get going then." Wolfe stated, almost as if he was finishing up an errand. Yuri's eyes widened in shock.

"Wh-what?! Aren't we going to save the people?!"

"O-Oh. Right, yeah. Let's...save them."

Wolfe seemed almost ashamed for not thinking about that as the first idea, but Yuri didn't question it.

"Alright, let's get to it then."

From there, Wolfe was running around, killing any deviants he could find, slaughtering them almost like it was nothing. Yuri watched as Wolfe used not only his dagger, but any surroundings environmental items or regular objects to his advantage in a fight, killing deviants with pots and pans, the corner of a table, stabbing them with their own knife, and even once using a broom by breaking it in half and shoving the jagged end into their stomach. It was almost sickening to see him kill these deviants in such twisted, creative ways...but...for Yuri…

It was also exciting. Admittedly, to her, this was better than any literature or horror novel she had ever read. This gave her almost a euphoric excitement as she saw the blood and gore so close, so real.

Once, Yuri looked back just to see the terrifying amount of deviant bodies that littered the street, and she turned back to gaze at Wolfe, who was continuing on with an emotionless face, his eyes empty of remorse or guilt.

So depraved, so twisted, so fucked up…

Yet so _exciting._

* * *

""Eugh...ergh…"

Monika groggily awoke, feeling an aching pain on the back of her head that resonated across her skull, causing her to groan. She brought her head up to find that her sight was hazy as her head was clearing up from the impact of that blow she suffered.

She tried to move around when she felt that her arms were restricted behind something and tied together, her legs bounded with something, keeping them together.

As she slowly came to realize her predicament, she began to panic, her heartbeat increasing rapidly.

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my GOD!

She began to cry as terrible scenarios played out in her head, of being tortured, of dying.

Of dying.

The worst possible idea to her.

Dying.

Death.

That was the worst possible thing that could happen to her. Nothing else was more terrifying than the very concept of her being ripped away from this wonderful world, full of opportunity and excitement.

Death.

Just thinking about it, she felt the blood drain from her face, felt herself become nauseous.

Calm down. Calm down. Calm down.

She looked around a bit more, and noticed a couple people, along with a dog, chained to the wall opposite of where she was sitting in this old basement. Upon closer inspection, all of their mouths were gagged, except for the dog, who was cowering in the corner in fear.

"Wh-what the fuck?! What the fuck?!" Monika shouted in fear.

"No, I'd say WHY the fuck. But to each their own." The voice muttered from behind her. It sounded feminine, which only served to terrify Monika even more.

Monika was shivering in fear, thinking about what kind of terrible things this woman was planning to do.

The woman walked over to the wall opposite of Monika, toward the chained down civilians. She came up to the man first, then brought her knife up and dragged it across the woman's face. The woman screamed through her gag in pain as blood was drawn from the cut. The psychopath looked back at Monika, expecting some sort of reaction, and seeming a little surprised by the lack of one.

"Well, I guess that's to be expected from such a mild little cut. I didn't pin you for the heroic type, either."

At sudden, she began making long, slow cuts along the woman's body, causing her to scream even more. Still no reaction from Monika, who was more focused on the idea of the psychopath killing her than anything else.

"Well then...you're the one condemning this poor woman to a more terrible fate."

She then brought her knife up and cleared the woman's hair, then proceeded to start cutting off a bit of her ear, prompting even more pained screaming, muffled by her gag. Yet still Monika did not have any particular reaction, aside from looking very mildly disturbed by the bit of ear that the psychopath was holding in her hand.

"Your apathy is unexpected. I've rarely met ordinary people who haven't felt close empathy for other human beings."

She moved on to the child, who was shivering in fear as the woman came up to her, knife brandished.

"This is a whole family I've taken up here. This mother is forced to watch as I…"

She began cutting the little girl's skin, retching a cry of pain from behind the cloth that was gagged in her mouth, The mother wrenched forward in anger and fear, as did the father, as they witnessed the sight, screaming from behind their gags.

"Cut away at their offspring, something they seem to value so much."

The woman looked up, expecting some sort of cries of indignation or pity, maybe even an expression of horror. She was extremely off-put and disappointed to see Monika with that same look of extremely mild disturbance.

"Eugh!" She cried in frustration, kicking the little girl in the head, warranting more indignant muffled screams from the parents. The woman peered at Monika.

"Are you even paying attention?"

Monika chose not to answer that question.

The woman then walked over and kicked the dog, who yelped. She continued kicking and battering at the dog, who was starting to howl in pain as the beating became more intense.

Eventually, she stopped, looking back at Monika. She was now extremely dismayed by the same exact look that Monika had plastered on her face this whole time.

"You don't look to be a sick fellow, like the ones I recruited. Do you know how difficult it is to find twisted underlings like them, willing to commit terrible atrocities at the drop of a hat?"

Monika still chose to remain silent. She had absolutely no idea of how to deal with this situation. Meanwhile, the deviant woman looked more than unamused.

"This is getting dull. Maybe I should just elicit some screams from you instead-"

"No! Please..." Monika cried, desperately trying to think of a way to stall. "I...was enthralled by that macabre display." She said, feigning an excited expression. "I so dearly wish to see more."

She hoped that would work. The last thing she ever wanted was to get tortured and no longer look appealing to Rulf, or be unable to travel the world with him. She was willing to put a single family down if it meant getting out of this with no permanent harm.

The woman seemed more than skeptical upon hearing this, and Monika became more and more afraid of what might happen if she couldn't talk her way out of this.

"...You do?"

 _Absolutely fucking not_ , Monika wanted to say out loud.

"Of course! It's just...so pleasing to see suffering." She said. Clearly, she was talking out of her ass, but she was trying to read this sick fuck and figure out if she could say the right words. "I just...don't show it in public, you know?"

The psychopath limped up to her, hope filling her wretchedly-insane eyes. As Monika eyed the limp, The psychopath seemed to notice what Monika was looking at, and cackled slightly.

"That was a little fight back then from a little boy, but that doesn't matter now…"

She came up, planting her hands on the side of the chair Monika was strapped to, hovering over Monika. Her breath reeked from years of little cleansing, and smelled oddly of blood.

"How did you tame this disease? How are you able to go a day without wanting to see the flesh peeled from someone's body? Isn't it like hunger to you? Gnawing, each and every passing minute, until you can't stand it anymore and you just..."

She brought her hands up to Monika's face, and as she stroked her cheeks, Monika couldn't help but shiver. This woman radiated a terrifying, dangerous aura, as if she could kill Monika as easily as one could breathe. Her hands were unnaturally smooth, and Monika noticed that they had a vague, permanent dark-red stain to them. She had to contain the urge to vomit.

"Please...please tell me you found something...Please..."

When the woman spoke, Monika was almost disturbed to hear nothing behind the pleading. There was no remorse, no guilt, nothing but the smallest fragment of vague hope.

 _Creak._

The psychopath's eyes immediately slid towards the stairwell, and she slithered over and under the stairwell, readying her dagger.

"Hello? Monika?"

Monika's eyes widened in relief and fear as she realized it was Rulf, about to walk into a trap.

"Rulf, watch out! She's below you!"

The psychopath narrowed her eyes in anger as she realized her surprise attack was thrown off. Immediately, Rulf slid out between the low-hanging ceiling and the staircase, then rolled onto the floor below, turning around instantly and pulling out his knife. He was immediately tackled by the psychopath and smashed into the ground, knocking the air out of him. Monika screamed in panic as they struggled there, and the psychopath grabbed his knife from the floor and stabbed him in the arm.

He yelled in pain, and pushed her off with a cry of anger. She smacked her head against the wall, now disoriented. Rulf got up from the floor with a loud grunt, yelling as the knife stuck in his arm moved around slightly with his every movement. He looked around on the ground, trying to find something as a weapon, when the psychopath had pounced on him once more.

"You cretin!"

"Shut up, you fuckin' devil!"

He could feel himself losing the grapple as she had the upper hand over him in hand-to-hand combat. She eventually was able to get her hands around his throat, and she began squeezing. Rulf could feel his lungs start to lock up as the air was restricted from his body. He began to feel lightheaded, and fear pervaded his mind.

 _Am I gonna die?!_ He thought in a panic…

 _NO! I...have to...save Monika!_

He reached around wildly, trying to find something to use. He felt his hand pierce on something sharp, but he didn't care. He grabbed for it, then thrust it towards the psychopath.

"AAAH!" She shouted in pain as she felt the shard of broken glass slice her across the face, falling back and releasing her grip on Rulf's throat. He began coughing profusely as the air got back into his lungs, giving him a terrible headache. He raged through it, gripping the shard in his hand, which started to tear into his hand, and crawled over to the psychopath, who was in the midst of getting up again.

 _Shick!_

"AAAAAH!"

Rulf had stabbed the knife into her leg, using it as leverage to crawl up onto her, which tore her leg up. He ripped the piece of glass out and, as he came up to her face, he jammed it straight into her eye.

"AAAAAAAAHHHH, FUUUUUUUCCCKKKK!"

She writhed in pain as the glass had been embedded in her left eye, and Rulf stewed over her, clenching his teeth in pain and anger.

"You piece of shit! You fucking SCUM!"

He twisted it, causing Haelin to scream in agonizing pain, then ripped it out, seeing the mesh of blood and flesh that was her left eye.

 _Make her pay!_

An insidious, twisted part of Rulf's mind activated, and he shoved the shard into her mouth, slamming her jaw shut. She screamed, sending spittles of blood in Rulf's face as the inside of her mouth was torn apart. She spit out the piece of glass, but barely got to breath before Rulf launched a punch into her face, followed by a flurry of more wild punches.

He continued, just beating on her face relentlessly, losing himself in the moment.

 _Bap._

"Fuck you! Fuck you! FUCK YOU!"

 _Bap._

"Fuck you!...fuck...you…"

 _Bap._

His mind was so addled that he could barely even comprehend what he was doing.

 _Crack..._

 _Crack..._

 _Crack..._

He couldn't stop himself. There was something that kept him here, continuing to bash away at this woman. As if he was trying to stop the threat at all costs.

 _Crunch…_

 _..._

 _Crunch…_

 _..._

 _Crunch…_

 _..._

 **For Monika.**

As if he couldn't bear to have anything threaten or hurt her.

The singular pleasantry in his grim world.

The only light in his dim reality.

"I'll...never...let you...hurt…" He sobbed, tears streaming from his eyes as he got caught up in the emotional stress of fighting to the death, his punches weakening with each blow. "Never…!"

Eventually, he no longer had the energy to launch another punch. He fell to the side, his lightheaded state getting the better of him. He looked up at the cracked ceiling, and heard the sounds of armor clinking. He managed to move his head over to see a few guards coming down the stairwell, the sounds of Monika screaming for help seemingly having attracted their attention. She said something that Rulf didn't understand, and the guards came over, cuffing the psychopath and dragging her away while another one came over, ripping out the knife from Rulf's arm. He could only manage a small groan of pain. They immediately went to bandage the wound, and suddenly he felt something grab him from the front, clutching his whole torso.

 _"...Rulf...Rulf...Rulf…"_

His hearing was starting to fade away, but he assumed that was Monika, holding him tight as she was surely sobbing in relief. As his eyes began to slowly close, his consciousness fading away...

He couldn't help but feel relieved.


	23. Chapter XI: The Brewing Storm (Part 1)

_**For the first two sections of this chapter (Based on line dividers):**_

 _\- Beautiful Piano Music - Emotional & Relaxing Music | By Epic Music World_

 _\- Light Raining Sounds_

 ** _For the third section of the chapter:_**

 _\- Indoor while Rain is going on outside sounds_

 _\- Any music of your choice_

 ** _For the fourth section of the chapter:_**

 _\- Tavern sounds_

 _\- Music of your choice_

* * *

 **Chapter XI: The Brewing Storm (Part 1)**

Three days after the terrible attack, the town of Dawnusk was in the midst of being cleaned up and rebuilt. The bodies of civilians were picked up and given to what remained of their families, while the bodies of deviants were desecrated and left in the forest for the animals to feast on, or dumped in the river.

It was a morbid and somber three days, where everyone had to recover from the event. Of course, when it came to the imminent bitter anger that many felt over the deaths and harm of their friends and family, as well as the torching of their property, many citizens went into an uproar at the nobility and upper class on the second and third layer of Dawnusk, who had drawn up their drawbridges during the attack.  
This uproar was supported by the idea that there were not nearly as many guards on the ground level as there were in the upper echelons of the town, and this translated into strikes by workers of factories, as well as major outrage against the nobility for 'hoarding their guardsmen above the defenseless town'.

However, the nobility had a quick rejoinder to that, stating that there had been a quite recent agreement in the town, proposed by the commoners, that they did not want high-security in the lower quadrants, as it 'bogged down the atmosphere of the place'.

After a moment of silence, the once-passionate citizens, reflecting upon that very real fact, immediately grew silent.

However, just as Wesley had predicted, he and this 'Malin' guy were not just mentioned, but lauded as heroes that helped in the efforts of preserving the town by several of the townspeople. Their efforts had paid off (even if one of theirs was just a bit ill in intent), but the townspeople had also been crowing about another 'hero', some terrifying figure that had been going around slaughtering the deviants left and right. Some 'Wolf' guy, but Wesley was not too focused on this other figure.

He had the attention and popularity he needed to start moving up the chain-

"Hear ye, Hear ye, bitches!"

Wesley, who was in the middle of sifting through his burned market stall with Sayori to salvage whatever items he could, turned his head towards the nearby town square in bewilderment as he heard the crude announcement, which just so happened to coincide with a sudden light rain from above. He noticed that a couple other people had also had their attention captured by the town crier. He rang a small bell a few times as he was giving his proclamation.

"King Brommel of Brimmen is looking for the prime leaders in the fight against the cultists three days prior! If you have word of their location, or if you _are_ said key figures, please arrive at the town hall to speak with the official courier! Hear ye, Hear ye, bitches-"

From there, the town crier was just repeating the message, and Wesley took in what he had just learned.

 _HEHEHEAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH!_ He laughed internally and most diabolically. _Everything_ had gone according to plan. Now, he was going to gain recognition and awards for his bravery during the Massacre of Dawnusk City (what he was sure was going to be the name of the event in the history books), and from there he would easily be able to gain more connections, in what would eventually be his grand uprising as the Trade Emperor of Uropa-

"I think he's talking about you, Wesley!" Sayori said excitedly, bouncing up and down slightly as she shook her fists near her chest in a weird gesture of excitement.

 _Oh...yeah, I guess she can come along as well,_ Wesley thought to himself idly. They had been together as 'trade partners' for sometime now. Of course, there were a variety of reasons Wesley had picked her out as his trading partner. She was great eye candy for the stall, which would surely attract business all on its own ; She had the charisma of a salesman hopped up on drugs ; And above all, she was more naive than a newborn baby. By that, he could manipulate her as well as he could a child. Overall, she was basically a big, ignorant sponge of potential that could become whatever he wanted, and in the moment she would make for a _wonderful_ trading partner.

"Yes, they are talking about me, aren't they?"

"We should go to the town hall right now!"

"Well now, I have to scrummage through this stall, but…" Wesley hesitated for a moment. "...After I salvage whatever I can from here, we'll go."

* * *

"Finally, we can leave." Wolfe huffed in frustration as he and Yuri left the guard barracks of the town, having been cleared after a long line of questioning from the guards about his 'potential affiliations with any form of organized cultists'. It was obviously to be expected, especially since the cultists prior to the attack had varied drastically in their nationalities and genders, so it was no surprise to find out that he had to go through some questioning-

"Wait, aren't you that boy that took out dozens of those cultists?"

 _Oh, come the fuck on now,_ Wolfe thought to himself in exceeding frustration, whipping his head and staring angrily at the poor old woman who had confronted him. He was a bit surprised to find her staring back at him, completely unfazed by his attempted intimidation.

"Don't bother trying to scare me, boy. I've been through _much_ more than you think."

"Um...okay."

" _I welcome Death with open arms-"_

"So, uh, what did you need?" Wolfe asked hurriedly. He was starting to get freaked out by this old lady.

"Well, apparently you're wanted in the Town Hall, since you _did_ take out all those…"

Wolfe was disturbed by how suddenly the old lady's eyes drifted off into the distance.

"H-Hello?"

"Huh? Oh, yes. You're wanted in the Town Hall, since you took out all those cultist rats."

"...Oh…"

"It's news, boy. Take it or leave it."

"Eh, yes. Thank you for telling me- what…" He noticed that she had fallen asleep while standing as quickly as it took him to comprehend what the old lady had said. He thought about waking her up, but decided he had more pressing matters right now, moving past her.

"Come on, Yuri, apparently we got business to attend to."

"Don't you want to go home?"

Wolfe sighed heavily, looking towards the entrance of town from the second layer, where he was currently standing.

"Yes, but...you know what, you're right. Fuck this town, and fuck the damn correspondence, I'm tired. Let's go home-"

Just as he was remarking this, a pair of guards had come up, and one of the guards' eyes widened as he seemed to notice something about Wolfe.

"Wait, aren't you the boy that took out all of those cultists?!"

"FUCK!"

* * *

Within a dozen minutes…

Rulf,

Monika,

Wesley,

Sayori,

Malin,

Natsuki,

Wolfe,

And Yuri,

Were all making their way to the town hall.

Rulf and Monika were the first to arrive, with Monika gazing around in wonder at the simple yet elegant architectural design of the place. Timber and oakwood seemed to be the biggest factors of the material, though there was also stones present in some parts of the Town Hall and some other materials that Monika was unfamiliar with.

"Wow, isn't this place so modest?" Rulf mumbled sardonically, to which Monika caught onto. For the past couple of weeks, she was starting to get used to how often sarcasm was implemented in daily life, especially by Rulf, whose bitter and coarse nature seemed to only fuel his use of it. She remembered fondly of how she once asked him why he looked so unimpressed about a great sculpture he was looking at, despite describing how grandiose it looked, and only received a sigh of frustration from him.

"Come on now, Rulf, you should really appreciate the time and effort put into this place."

"Why? Do you know what my occupation is? Are you aware of how little fucks I can give about scenery? I mean, for Tog's sake, it's like you've been living with someone else this entire- oh."

His rant was halted as Wesley and Sayori entered the Town Hall, and the two stared at each other for a few moments.

…

…

…

"Hey, I know you."

"Ditto."

As Wesley and Rulf closed the gap and shook hands, Monika noticed Sayori was staring at her as she wrapped her arms around herself in a protective manner, her eyes holding a mixture of seething anger and fear.

In all honesty, Monika felt that the way she had lashed out at Sayori was terrible, in all prospect. The things she had said, how she assured Sayori that she would have done it all again to escape…

She had been thinking over the past weeks now about that very event, and eventually chalked it up to how recently she had been saved from that hell. The very idea of having to think back to her time in that depraved world terrified her into saying some things she wasn't sure that she really meant.

On the other hand, however, she was in no mood to try and fix relations with Sayori. She was undoubtedly sure that Sayori hated her guts to the extreme, which she didn't particularly blame her for, but she simply didn't want to take the time as of right now to reminisce over the girl. Everytime she took a look at her, or thought about her, the time she had spent in that other world flooded into her mind, nearly bringing her to vomit.

She shook her head, disconnecting her gaze from Sayori. At least none of the other club members had shown up-

"By the stars, is that _Rulf?"_

She looked up to see a monstrously tall individual enter the town hall, having to lower his head below the doorframe to fit into the building. It was a new sight to Monika, who had never seen such a terrifying figure before, and so was marveled by the idea of such a person.

"Ooh, I like the design of this place."

Natsuki came in saying this, looking around the place, when her eyes stopped at the sight of Monika.

…

…

…

And just like that, dread flooded Monika's mind.

At first, Natsuki hadn't quite comprehended what she was looking at. She seemed to be denying the very sight before her.

"Natsuki? Are you doing well? Has the cat gotten hold of your tongue?"

Within moments, Natsuki's face changed from mild indifference to shock, then horror.

"No...N-No…"

It took Malin by surprise to see Natsuki in such a state. Ever since they had met, she was always calm, level-headed, and very much down-to-earth. To see her in this shaken state was immediate grounds for investigation, and he directed his gaze towards where she was staring. His eyes hardened as he focused on Monika.  
"You. Did you do something to her?"

Monika had no idea how to respond. Fear was encroaching on her like a poisonous vapor.

"I asked you a question. What did you do to Natsuki?"

"Oy, you want to watch your tone, bud?"

Monika heard Rulf's voice chime in, and noticed him stepping in front of her. She felt relief and joy flood over her as he came to her defense.

"You're...here…? Why…? Why?!"

Natsuki's voice choked up as tears began to stream down her face.

"I remember what you did, _Monika!_ You...you...fucking _manipulated us!_ You _tortured_ us in that world!"

"The Hekk's wrong with you, girl?!" Rulf interjected, his expression turning into slight anger. "I don't care if you two had some bad past, you need to drop it."

"Stray from hounding the lady, Rulf." Malin interrupted, stepping towards Rulf, who instinctively stepped back, intimidated by the sheer size of Malin. "Courtesy calls for cordial countenance."

"What? Just, the Hekk is going on?! We were summoned here for a reason, I don't want to be fighting right out of the gate!"

"And I agree, but I want to know what your lady there did to make _my_ lady cry!"

Rulf's cheeks reddened in embarrassment as he heard Malin's sentence.  
"Wh-Wha- She-She's not my...my _lady…_ Look, just control your woman, for Tog's sake!"

"Then tell me what your lady did!"

From there, arguing ensued, with Malin and Rulf shouting at each other, while Natsuki ranted about Monika's treacherous past, with Monika staying silent throughout the exchange. During this time, Wolfe happened to walk through the double doors.

"Well, I was called here, so let's make this quick-"

He was immediately bombarded by the bickering that took place in the Town Hall.

"Aaaaaand I'm leaving. Come on, Yuri, let's-"

He turned back to see Yuri staring in shock at something. Confused, he followed her gaze towards another woman, who was standing next to a very shady-looking individual that was arguing with a freakishly tall warrior, with a pitifully small girl standing behind him, hurling insults at the same woman Yuri was looking at.

"Yeah, I know, it's a circus in here. Better reason why we need to-"

" _Monika..."_

Wolfe's head turned back in concern as he heard the word uttered from Yuri's mouth.

"Um...what?"

He was alarmed to see Yuri's face turn from shock to rage, and she began stomping over towards the woman she was so intently looking at.

"Wait, hold on, Yuri-"

Monika turned her head to see Yuri stomping towards her, and instinctively she began backing away quickly.

" _MONIKA!"_

She prepared herself as Yuri launched towards her, and they tumbled to the ground, with Yuri shaking Monika's shoulder's as Monika tried to push her off.

"You forced me to kill myself, you asshole, you no-good son of a bitch! You fucked with my personality, my _mind!_ Do you feel _any_ remorse?! Any at _all?!"_

Yuri was suddenly pried off of Monika by Rulf, who threw her to the ground.  
"What the FUCK is with all these psychopaths?! Get away from her!"

At this point in time, Rulf felt it necessary to unsheathe his dagger, brandishing it towards Yuri, who looked at the knife with fear.

"Oh god...this must be some terrible irony…" She muttered, backing away from the now-defensive Rulf.

Wolfe then rushed forward and unsheathed his dagger, anger written all over his face.

"Watch who you point that thing at, boy."

"Boy?! How old are you, you fuckin' midget?!"

"What the fuck did you just call me?!"

"You heard me!"

Just as this argument was going on, another individual happened to come in from the front doors.

"Greetings, brave citizens-"

"I ALREADY _SAID_ I WAS SORRY, CUNT!"

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU CALLING A CUNT, BITCH?!"

"Come now, strangers, we shouldn't be arguing in such a time of-"

"Togdamnit, where's my fucking medal? I led the townspeople in the fight, now SOMEONE GIVE ME MY DAMN MEDAL SO I CAN FIX MY TOGDAMN STALL!"

"You need to answer for what you did, Monika! Forcing us to do those things-"

The individual was silent, utterly confused by the fighting that was taking place.

"Well, um, brave citizens of the town, If we could cease the hostilities-"

"YOU DON'T WANT ANY PART OF THIS KNIFE, BUD, SO I SUGGEST SHEATHING YOUR WEAPON!"

"Gentlemen, please-"

"YEAH, WELL, I HAVE LONGER REACH, SO I THINK _YOU_ SHOULD THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO FROM HERE!"

"Can we just-"

"A LONGER REACH DOESN'T MEAN SHIT IN A KNIFE FIGHT IF YOU CAN'T WIELD IT PROPERLY!"

"For Tog's sake-"

"WELL, UNLUCKY FOR YOU, I HAPPEN TO WIELD THIS LIKE I DID MY DICK WAS WITH YOUR MOTHER!"

"Enough with the-!"

"A MOTHER JOKE?! HOW FUCKIN' OLD ARE YOU-"

" _ **SHUT THE FUCK UP!"**_

The booming voice overtook the town hall, breaking the tense atmosphere. Everyone's eyes were drawn to the man standing at the entrance of the town hall.

He looked to be about 6 feet tall, and wore clothing befitting that of a courier. A brown, circular hat of sorts was donned on his head, but that was about the only interesting thing that stood out from his appearance. He sighed, then put on a smile and raised his hands towards the group amassed before him, speaking in an extravagant manner as he did so.

"Brave citizens of Dawnusk. Your actions in the town were recognized by the people you saved so selflessly from the deviant cultists that befelled this town in such a-"

"Why are we here?" Wolfe interjected with annoyance.

"Well maybe if you let me finish, I could tell you, _asshat."_

Wolfe was a bit surprised by the sudden aggression, but he decided it wasn't worth getting angry over.

"Erm...as I was saying...brave heroes of Dawnusk (or whatever). You have shown your loyalty and bravery for not just this town and its citizenry, but also the nation of Brimmen as a whole. By leading in the defeat of the evil cultists and taking back the town, as well as saving innocent lives, you have proven your strength, will, and courage to be summoned by King Brommel himself, for a special task-"

"No."

The courier expressed irritation as he was once again interrupted, staring at Wolfe.

"What the fuck now?"

"I know how this goes. 'You guys did wonderfully in this thing, which qualifies you to be sacrificial pawns for this really dangerous task that you probably won't survive, and that we've sent dozens of others on to complete'. I could _smell_ it coming from a mile away."

"Now, hold on for a moment-"

"I came here to town for one thing: To buy some more Togdamn farming equipment. On _three separate occasions,_ I was interrupted in this very simple _fucking_ task. I was evacuated, closed off, and then brought in for questioning after being attacked in this Tog-forsaken town. I _hate_ this place, and I _hate_ that in the process of saving a few lives, I now get summoned to do this king's fucking task, _ALL WHILE I WAS TRYING TO BUY SOME SIMPLE FUCKING FARMING EQUIPMENT!"  
_ The courier stood silent, having listened to the rant the entire time, as did everyone else.

"Actually, he has a point." Wesley chimed in. "I came here because I expected some simple commendation, not a full-blown invitation to the capital of Brimmen and some ambiguous task to carry out. I have a _life,_ you know."

"And if what these two are implying is true," Rulf started. "Then I'm _definitely_ not going. Whatever task you have is not for me, and I'm not a lackey, even if it's for the king."

"I'll go." Malin chirped, and was immediately turned on by Natsuki.

"Absolutely _not."_ She asserted. Malin sighed.

"Very well."

The courier seemed flabbergasted by the wild variety of reactions he was getting.

"You _do_ know that you citizens are talking about the _king_ here? If you think you can just slither out of serving your nation because you don't _want_ to, well…"

The courier came up to Wolfe, who stood his ground.  
"Your land could be stripped from you."

He noticed Wolfe's expression slacken as he considered the very possibility. The courier then moved towards Rulf.

"...Prison…"

He saw a flash of fear in Rulf's eyes, and moved on to Malin. However, after having to crane his head up just to make eye contact with the giant, he cleared his throat and moved towards Wesley.

"And, possibly... _death_."

He got no particular reaction from Wesley, but he saw the woman standing near him become nervous at the mention of death.

"No…" She muttered, holding herself.

The town hall became silent as the gravity of the situation everyone was in began to sink in.

The courier sighed. In all actuality, he didn't want to resort to intimidation, as it was never a good way to motivate his target audience. However, he did have something to offer that could most definitely raise their spirits.

"Of course…" He left the sentence hanging, naturally causing everyone to lean in to hear what he had to say next. "...If you complete the task, there is obviously the promise of gold…"

Immediately, He noticed Rulf's eyes glimmer brightly, and he knew he had struck a chord with him.

"...Glory throughout the kingdom…."

He saw Malin's eyes light up with opportunity.

"...And the chance to meet high-tier individuals, possibly expanding whatever trade you already deal in."

There, he saw Wesley and Wolfe's eyes look up in great interest, his final swayers.

In all actuality, the only way he had come to know about their individual goals and aspirations was because most of them had already gained notice by the nobilities, guards and/or civilians within the area of Dawnusk. It wasn't hard, from there, to find out about their occupations, personalities and other parts of their life. He had then assumed, based on their individual information, what their individual goals or wishes were by suggesting exactly what he had said just now. Everything was going to-

"So you just gonna stand there or what?"

The courier was thrown off by Rulf, the shady-looking individual. He was the only person that the courier could not get any proper information on, but that didn't make his goal any less clear. With someone like Rulf, the courier was sure that his only wish was, to put it simply, gold, or the prospect of it.

Aside from that, however, none of the ladies they stood by seemed particularly affected by what he was saying, mainly because they were all staring at the one particular individual with a hatred in their eyes that he never wanted to be faced with.

 _Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,_ He thought to himself wittily. He remembered reading that line from one of Rattlerodic's more reputable books-

 _ **No one gives a shit, side character. Advance the plot, already.**_

The courier was dissociated from his train of thought concerning literature by what he perceived to be some metaphysical voice. Not wanting to anger whatever terrifying entity that was, he continued on, addressing the group as a whole.

"So, with that said, are you all ready and willing to go on this journey?"

"Fuckin' shit…"

"Ugh…"

"Absolutely!"

"Togdamnit…"

The courier wanted to strangle the group as a collective. In all honesty, he didn't want to fuckin' be here. He wanted to be at his home, reading the latest collection from Rattlerod.

 _Temper yourself, Adrian,_ He thought to himself. _Just a bit longer, and this'll be done._

He raised his hands in peace. "Come on now, lads. Doesn't the spirit of adventure call to you?"

"Curiosity killed the cat, and adventuring is gonna kill my ass…" Rulf muttered. "But…"

Wolfe crossed his arms. "I have a particular formula that involves farming, can I get the technique sent to and learned by villages across the nation if I finish this damn task?"

"Uh...yes."

Adrian wasn't actually sure about that, but at this point he was too close to getting them to go just to complicate things. Wolfe sighed.

"Then I'll go."

 _Pretty sure I JUST outlined only a minute ago why that wasn't an option for you…_ Adrian thought in annoyance.

"Alright, then." Wesley stated. "I'll get my stuff ready."

"...Damn it. Alright." Rulf muttered. Monika pumped her fist in excitement.

"Alright, let's get going right now!" Malin stated simply, making his way to the door, as Natsuki grabbed him by the belt, trying to stop him, to little avail.

"You dumbass, we need to prepare, and we don't even know where we're-"

Her complaining slowly faded into the distance as Malin pressed on towards wherever the blockhead was going, and the hall was left with the remaining seven people.

"...Okay. So, uh, where are we going again?" Rulf asked the courier, who had a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.

"The capital of the nation, Braymont."

* * *

The entire group had been notified that the trek to the capital of Brimmen would begin tomorrow, and so had the rest of the day to prepare. Of course, because of Malin's bulwark thinking, it took a couple minutes for him and Natsuki to get the same message.

Now, the two were getting ready for the travel in their place at the tavern, along with Annis, a girl whom they had rescued during the attack on Dawnusk three days ago. Before they had turned her over to the orphanage, she told them of her story, and how she came to end up in Brimmen.

Of course, Natsuki had to do her the favor of listening, as Malin had staring off into a corner, where a single rock was chilling. Natsuki had to wonder if he was sympathizing with the non-biological entity, considering they about shared the same level of intelligence.

"Alright, Malin, you got the food and water rations?"

"Indeed."

"And the armor and weaponry, cleaned and oiled?"

"Of course."

"And the extra clothing?"

"Definitely."

Natsuki nodded her head. Everything was coming together. Of course, this whole mission they were being assigned to gave her new thoughts to stew over.

What was her objective? Would she avoid danger for safety? Or should they be doing things in the form of high risk, high reward? Was she just going along on these adventures for fun, or was there a goal in mind?

After all, she was still trying to adjust to this world, so she barely had time to think about what she wanted to do for the long-term. Where was she going to settle? Could they stay in the same place, or should they find a better place to call home? And surely, this mercenary work would not be conventional for the long-term. As much as she enjoyed going on adventures, something she didn't get nearly enough of before, it was also quite dangerous, and judging by what she had seen in this world by just the _first two weeks_ , she was terrified of what might be beyond the boundaries of this one region.

"Lady Natsuki…"

Natsuki looked over to see Annis, who was tugging lightly on her tunic.

"Yes, Annis?"

"Um...I do wish to know whether we will be going to Itala."

Ah, yes. Another key point. From what Annis described, they would have to travel across Cromoc to Itala, her home country, which was in Neriac, which was _very_ far from where they were. It would take months, to say the least, just to get there.

"Um...Well...we'll have to see, when we find out what the task from the king is."

Annis nodded silently, her eyes filled with hope.

"I also wanted to thank you deeply for delivering me from the orphanage." She said.

"I am thricefold grateful for your actions."

 _Damn, did this kid read dictionaries for fun?_ Natsuki thought to herself as she listened to Annis speak. She was surprised that a 12-year old in what seemed to be the medieval age of this world was speaking so eloquently, considering she was from the countryside in some far-off nation.

"Well, we're, uh, glad to have you." She said, smiling at the young girl, who bowed her head.

"NATSUKI!"

Natsuki screamed in fright as the booming voice took her from behind. She quickly got angry and turned around to confront Malin.

"WHAT, YOU ASS?!"

"Since we are done with the packing, shall we enjoy ourselves in the tavern, or take to resting now?"

Natsuki sighed. "Has the sun set yet?"

"Yes."

"We can screw around for an hour, then we should go to sleep." She felt like she was speaking to a kindergartner, considering she had to tell him what time they should go to bed. She was a bit perplexed when he bowed his head, his cheeks slightly reddening.

"Pardon? Um...Well, that is quite forward, Natsuki…"

Natsuki was at first confused as to what he was saying, then realized what he was interpreting, gasping and feeling her cheeks flame up scarlet-red.

"YOU IDIOT! TH-THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEAN! G-GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE GUTTER!" She yelled at him as he laughed wholeheartedly.

"Tis a joke, Natsuki! I merely jest!"

As he was laughing, Natsuki just then happened to notice the sizable and sharp-looking canine teeth he possessed on both the top and bottom row of his mouth. It was actually quite frightening to look at, now that she had spotted it.

"Wow, those are some serious chompers you got there, Malin." She noted.

Immediately, Malin's laughing stopped, and he realized what she was alluding to. He closed his mouth as he smiled, but Natsuki could tell he was ashamed of it.

"Ah, yes...um, anyways, let us head out to the dining hall!"

"W-wait, Malin-"

She was cut off when he swiftly exited through their room's door and out into the tavern. Natsuki sighed. She wasn't sure if she had hit a sore spot somehow, but she felt somewhat bad for doing it.

Nonetheless, she cleared her head and headed out into the dining hall, determined to have some good fun before the trip.

After all, tomorrow was going to be an important day.

* * *

 ** _Author's Notes_**

 _\- I know that it is quite annoying to not know when new releases for chapters come out, but now I should have a properly planned schedule as of right now. After getting a part-time job, I can (somewhat) confidently say that_

 ** _New chapters should come out every Sunday._**

 _Of course, there could be multiple releases a week every so often, but don't count on it. After all, I'm working on 9 other stories on this site, and that's not counting the 10 other stories that are NOT on this site._

 _With that said, I want to quickly thank all of my reviewers and viewers for taking the time to read what I write. It genuinely makes me happy that people enjoy reading this._


	24. Chapter XII: A Sudden Discovery

**Chapter XII: A Sudden Discovery**

Finally, the day had arrived, and everyone met up at the town square, as delegated by Adrian, the courier and now their guide for getting to Braymont. The nine individuals met in the square, saddled up with various supplies, equipment, weaponry, and other essentials as was necessary for the trip ahead.

Meanwhile, as they waited for the guide, who was ironically the last to arrive, they conversed among themselves.

"See now, I just don't understand the trade culture in Grekyon." Wesley told Wolfe. "I mean, they have all those valuable rocks around them, all of that supposed magic, and yet they don't think to capitalize on it for trading? I swear, sometimes it's like they have village idiots running the show over there."

"Well, you do have to realize that most of that landscape is a Tog-forsaken wasteland, as well as being a military-focused nation." Wolfe said.

"Yeah, but still, how do you fund a military? Through money, and money is mainly gained through trade."

"Well, now, what about self-preservation? I'm sure they don't need to be fully reliant on dealing with other nations."

"Of course, however…"

Meanwhile, a conversation between Malin, Rulf and Monika was ensuing.

"So," Malin started. "I was looking at the signs, and I _thought_ that we were going towards Rocky Ridge, but we _actually_ ended up going towards Berry Bullhorn!"

"You know, I'm something of a retard myself." Rulf responded.

"Sounds like ice cream flavors." Monika pitched in.

"The fuck's ice cream?"

The difference in conversation was...significant, to say the least.

Finally, Adrian's fat ass finally arrived, sparing a certain element from having to write more stupid and inane dialogue.

"Welp, it looks like everyone's ready." He stated redundantly, his eyes sweeping across the line-up. "This is quite the team composition. Comprised of strong and amenable individuals!"

"Wait, did you just call us submissive-"

"Now, with that said, I, as your guide, shall lead you to the capital, where ye all shall present yourselves before King Brommel, leader of this prosperous nation!" He proclaimed, his voice coupled with a heroic tone. "You will be issued the quest, which I am fully confident you will carry out with the utmost duty and valiance befitting of such highly respected heroes as yourselves!" As he finished the proclamation, he swept his hands in an open manner, gesturing proudly to the group of eight gathered before him.

"Can we go now?" Rulf muttered.

* * *

An hour later, the team had taken up horses and began making their way out of the city, heading into the dense forestry, where the road led. Monika looked back at the town with a heavy heart.

"We're not gonna be gone for long, right Rulf?" She asked, looking over at Rulf, who was caught off-guard by the question.  
"Uh...erm...idunno…" He mumbled.

"What was that-"

"I don't know!" He huffed, looking back towards the trail they were walking on. "I mean...we might be gone for a while, I'm not gonna lie. I gander these missions aren't exactly grocery runs."

Monika nodded solemnly, even though she had no idea what a grocery run was, though she felt she knew what he was implying. She looked back at the town of Dawnusk, which was receding into the distance as her horse trotted away. She had a feeling they would not be back to this town for a very long time. At sudden, a smile grew across her face, her eyes welling up with hot tears.

Her eyes swept over the lively town, reminiscing over all the fun times she had there, albeit short.

She appreciated the handiwork of the buildings on each level, from industries and bridges to the taverns and housing, which were all filled with the lively people of the town, who, despite the grim event only four days prior, had picked up in their spirits, carrying about in their day with a sense of determination.

She remembered the cobblestone and dirt roads she had skipped across so often, alongside Rulf, the alleyways where she had given the homeless and starving cats and dogs the leftovers from work.

She recalled the wonderful nature of the people, friendly and fun, compassionate and caring, some of whom she had made friends with.

And above all, the sights and sounds.

The wonderful variety of colors that accompanied everything, so that it soothed her eyes whenever she simply looked around.

The hundreds of green trees that populated the area around the town, where the leaves blew in the wind softly, and she would gaze over the landscape from the balcony of her workplace as the sun set over the horizon, throwing its soft, orange tint across the treeline.

The giant river that flowed below and around the town, where the different shades of blue weaved within each other so elegantly, where she had sat at the edge of the wharf for hours, staring into the water in fascination.

The diversity of townspeople, with all their differently-colored clothes and faces, their unique and individual characteristics, their different personalities and mindsets.

The slanted rocks that raised each level of the town, and which were covered in trees all around the outside of the town.

The beautiful castle that sat atop the third layer of the town, gazing stoically on its perch over the municipality, as if a guardian protecting its citizens proudly.

The bright blue sky above, dotted with puffy, white clouds and passing birds, flowing endlessly by like a floating sea.

Monika came to the realization, as she was reflecting upon all of these things, all of these wonderful aspects of the town…

This was her home.

Her _real_ home.

"I'll miss you, Dawnusk. We'll be back, I know it."

 _Bonk._

"Ow!"

At sudden, Monika felt something smack the back of her head, and she yelped in pain, holding her head as it reverberated with pain.

"Oh yeah, uh, watch out for that branch."

* * *

Half a day's travel in, and the band was already getting tired of their esteemed tour guide, who had rambled on about 'basin' this and 'ridge' that. All the landmarks, folk tales, and general lore of the surrounding region.

Of course, that didn't prevent Malin from listening with awe and wonder as he soaked in _none_ of the information being provided by Adrian.

"And here is Galsa's Ridge, named after a road worker that helped to improve the road systems in this local region-"

"Do we actually need this guy?" Rulf whispered in Wesley's ear, to which he sighed in resignation. "Unfortunately, I would assume so. As you know, maps are pretty rare, and it's not like we can just _show up_ to the capital without the guy who's gonna authorize us."

"Hmm, true. But couldn't we just, I dunno...stab the guy and have one of us impersonate him?"

Normally, the average individual would have leered back in shock and outrage at what Rulf had suggested. Yet, Wesley was not that average individual. Rulf noticed him rubbing his chin in thought. Sayori, who was nearby, happened to listen in on the conversation with horror.

 _Surely not!_ She thought in panic. She was not put to relief as she witnessed Wesley genuinely consider the idea.  
However, she didn't have any more time to worry as the tour guide came to a sudden stop on the road, looking upwards.

"What's that in the sky?"

Natsuki heard the question come from Annis, who was looking up at the sky as well, her eyes focused on something. She felt pressed to direct her eyes upwards as well, and, upon shielding her eyes from the sun, noticed a small silhouette gliding around in the air.

"Oy, Adrian, why are we stopped for some bird?" Rulf piped up. Adrian kept his eyes in the air.

"That's a naive response, Rulf. Surely, in a lively and monstrously large world such as this, filled with all types of different creatures, you'd suspect that the thing in the air right now isn't just 'some bird'..."

Rulf's face turned slightly red in embarrassment as he was chastised, and felt his anger swell up. "Maybe if you clarified, jackass, then we wouldn't have to-"

"Doesn't it look like it's growing bigger?" Annis interrupted, much to everyone's worry.

Suddenly, Adrian's eyes grew wide, his face turning pale.

"Oh, fuck…"

"'Oh fuck'? What does 'oh, fuck' mean?!" Rulf asked in panic.

Sayori, who was also looking upwards at the figure, noticed that there were scales on its body, which gleamed in the sunlight as it began to grow bigger.  
"Oh, shit, it's coming towards us!" Wesley exclaimed.

"Everyone, spread out! Run your horses into the tallgrass!" Adrian shouted, pointing at the tallgrass on both sides of the road.

There was no hesitation as everyone ran their horses into the tallgrass as instructed, their horses neighing loudly as they were prodded on.

 _Wheeeeeeeee-_

The sound of a high-pitched whistling grew louder as the scaled creature was closing in on the ground.

"What's going on, Wolfe?!" Yuri asked in worry. Wolfe's teeth were clenched in tension, as he was barely able to see above the tallgrass they were running through, and thus had no idea of where the creature would be.

"I don't know, but keep quiet and don't make sound-"

 _ **REEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**_

Wolfe and Yuri groaned loudly as a piercing shriek nearly shattered their ears, followed by the sound of large wings flapping violently. Yuri glanced behind her to see the tallgrass bend to either side as something began moving quickly through the mesh of stalk.  
"I think something's following us!" She exclaimed, her voice taking on a high pitch.

"He's diving through the fields! Duck your head!" Wolfe shouted, pulling the reins of the horse to the right. Just as the horse veered to the right, Wolfe felt a strong wind nearly knock him off his mount as the creature swooped by, just barely missing Wolfe and Yuri. Yuri's face turned pale as she watched the giant creature fly by, its eyes darting towards her, its sliced pupils glaring at her.

"It's seen us!" She yelled.

"Damn it! We need to get back to the open road!"

And yet, Wolfe could not see anything above the tallgrass.

"Yuri! Look over the stalks! Where's the open road?"

Yuri raised her head to try and find just that, her heart pumping rapidly as she looked around.

"To the right! The right- OH MY GOD IT'S COMING BACK TOWARDS US!" She screamed in fear as she witnessed the creature swoop upwards, then dive back towards them, the whistling sound increasing in pitch as it rocketed towards them, its mouth open, its sharp teeth glistened with bloodstains.

 _It kind of looks like a dragon, but smaller,_ Yuri's subconscious noted. However, the forefront of her mind was not particularly concerned about that right now.

"How far is it?"

"I DUNNO! U-Um...around 100 meters away, I-I think, and closing in fast!"

"Tell me when it gets within 50 meters!"

"How am I supposed to track that?!"

"JUST DO IT!"

Yuri watched as the creature continued diving, desperately trying to measure its distance.

"80 meters- no, 60, no- OKAY IT'S 50 METERS!"

Just as she said this, Wolfe slapped the reins of the horse as he veered it towards the left hard, trying to do a 180. Right as he did this, Yuri felt the the air pull at her skin as the creature tried, and failed, to follow the quick maneuver, and smashed into the ground.

 _ **SLAM!**_

The creature howled in pain as its body impacted into the dirt below, and Wolfe took this chance to veer the horse back towards the road. Finally, he came to a stop a couple meters away from the downed creature and quickly hopped off, much to Yuri's shock.

"What are you doing?!" She asked in panic.

"We can't ride away! That thing is far more faster than us! We have to kill it here and now, while we have a chance!" He shouted back at her as he ran up to the disoriented creature, unsheathing his knife. He climbed up the creature's scales, making his way towards its face. Finally, he came upon its head.

Meanwhile, everyone else was riding in from out of the tallgrass as they heard the creature crash into the ground. They began to unsheathe their weapons and unmount as they saw Wolfe climb up its body.  
"We have the advantage!" Malin shouted confidently, brandishing his sword and running towards the creature.

"What is that thing?!" Sayori questioned as she laid her eyes upon the giant, scaly monster, her voice quivering.

"It's a drake. They're smaller and, thankfully, much weaker versions of dragons. It's a good thing that it got taken down early, because fighting that thing otherwise would have been difficult."

Wolfe brought his knife up and over the drake's eye.

"How does that boy think he's going to take out that drake when it has scales?" Sayori asked.

"Well, if you can stab through its eyes and into its brain, you can effectively finish it off-"

 _ **REEEEAAAAAA!**_

The shrieking pierced the air once more, and everyone witnessed as the drake shook its head, throwing Wolfe off of its face and into Malin, who fell back into the ground as Wolfe flew into him.

"Oof!"

Adrian's face turned pale as he witnessed the drake begin to get up, staggering around.

"FUCK! IT RECOVERED TOO QUICKLY!"

The drake indeed had recovered, and its hostile eyes were trained on Wolfe, who was trying to disengage himself from Malin. It tried to flap one of its wings to get up into the air, but failed to as it seemed one of its wings was bent, the supporting bones most likely broken.

"It's injured! We would have had little chance to take it out if it was in the air, since we don't have any bowmen or mages in this group, but-"

"STOP FUCKING NARRATING OVER WHAT'S HAPPENING AND HELP US!" Wolfe shouted in anger, confronting the drake, which towered over him menacingly. Everyone else was surrounding it, though no one was sure of what to do, as no one had anything to use at range.

"Damn it, if we survive this encounter, _someone_ is getting a bow!" Wesley shouted in frustration.

"I second that!" Malin insisted, holding his shield up defensively as he stood alongside Wolfe, trying to stare down the creature.

Finally, the drake, seeing itself surrounded, did something that looked really fucking stupid, which was hop in the air, before rapidly flapping his wings. It screeched in pain as it did this, but eventually gained enough traction to soar up and over everyone's heads, much to their astonishment.

"What the hell?!" Adrian exclaimed in shock. "Aren't these things supposed to have small brains?! How did it even think to do that?!"

He had no further time to consider the drake's intelligence, however, as it began to dive back towards the ground, this time aimed at Wolfe once more, its maw opening as it prepared to snatch him up with its teeth.

"WOLFE!" Yuri screamed in panic, jumping in front of him. Wolfe's eyes widened as he witnessed her put herself between him and the drake.

"What the Hekk do you think you're doing, woman?!" He screamed in panic. "Get out of the way!"

The drake didn't care to change course, and it continued diving towards them, its maw opening even wider, 50 meters away.

Instinctively, Yuri raised her hands up and towards the drake, feeling an indescribably energy build up in her chest.

30 meters away.

She felt emboldened, brazen with courage, and felt herself concentrate that energy into her arms, into her fingers.

10 meters away.

In one motion, Yuri turned her hands in opposing directions, clockwise and counter-clockwise.

5 meters away.

Then, in one quick movement, she clenched her fists tightly, feeling a burst of energy expel from her body.

 _ **CRUNCH!**_

The drake's head, along with all of the bones in its body, broke instantly as it collided head-on with a field of energy that had suddenly appeared in front of Yuri and Wolfe. The mangled body slid down the forcefield and smashed into the ground, lifeless and unmoving.

Everyone stared, uncomprehending of what just happened, at the scene. The forcefield immediately dissipated and Yuri crumpled, caught by Wolfe before hitting the ground.  
"What...the..." Rulf muttered.

"Tog! Why didn't you people tell me you had a mage in your group?!" Adrian piped up, his voice filled with a mix of relief and anger. Everyone looked at him with confusion.

"She's...never used magic before…" Wolfe stated, still astonished by what he had seen. Adrian was taken aback by this comment.

"W-What?! Then...oh...wow…"

Wolfe looked back at Yuri, seeing that she had fallen unconscious.

"What have you been hiding from me…"

* * *

The group had decided to settle in a nearby forest for the night, to recover from what had happened. Rulf, Wesley, Malin and Natsuki took this chance to take various parts from the drake, including some of its scales (which Wesley claimed were valuable for trade), a couple of its teeth (as a trinket and a prize for 'slaying a monstrous beast', according to Malin), and its meat, which was agreed to as a whole by the group that it would be useful for tonight's meal, as well as meals for the other nights. Adrian had confirmed that the meat could be eaten, and was in fact quite delicious if cooked correctly.

As everyone gathered around an improvised campfire within a small enclave within the forest, near the road but covered so that any normal passerby could not notice the little campsite if they were not intentionally investigating, they began to fervently discuss the events that had just transpired, most of which included Yuri's sudden powers.

"When were ya gonna tell us she was a magic user, bud?" Rulf questioned, glaring at Wolfe. "That would've been nice to know!"

"For what reason?" Wolfe asked simply. Rulf was taken aback by this sudden question.  
"W-Well, uh...you know..fighting reasons!"

"We had only just now fought."

"U-Um-"

"That's not the point." Wesley interjected, much to Rulf's relief. "It's extremely important to know when there's a magic user in the group, for many obvious reasons. Just like it's important to know now that there's no ranged fighters in this group." He leaned over to Sayori, who was listening to the conversation quietly as she ate some of the Drake meat. "By the way, I'm buying you a crossbow and training you at the next town we find."

Sayori seemed to perk up upon hearing that. She was glad, because that meant she would be able to become useful in a fight. Rulf overheard Wesley talk to Sayori and decided to lean in towards Monika.

"I, um, I'm gonna get you a bow and arrows so that you can be useful in a fight." He murmured to her.

"Okay, Rulf." She said simply, smiling at him. "I'll be glad to help you in battle."

Rulf nodded solemnly before returning his focus back to the conversation.

"Look, I myself wasn't aware of Yuri's sudden magical powers. If I had known, I am very much sure I would have asked her to utilize them against that drake."

"Still, though, this is quite sudden." Adrian interrupted. Wolfe peered over at him.

"Hekk does that mean?"

"Well, it's quite rare that people suddenly just...are able to use their powers like that, or discovery so suddenly. From what I've learned, the vast majority of magic users learn of their abilities at a very young age."

Wolfe decided not to reveal that he had only discovered her in one of his fields, naked, and that he would have had no idea of knowing whether she knew already of her own powers or not. He decided that, when they were not near the group, he would grill her for that information.

"Nonetheless, we took out that drake, and that in of itself is very commendable." Adrian stated proudly.

"Speaking of which," Wesley interjected. "Aren't you, as our tour guide, supposed to lead us away from shit like that?" He was a good bit pissed at Adrian for just that reason. If it had not been for that girl's sudden use of her powers, the group could have been in serious danger. Adrian became sheepish at the hostile tone.

"Now, hold on. Please, understand that I _was_ leading you down the safest path, at least according to what I was given in terms of information by my superiors. I'm sure that the drake was just an extreme outlier. If anything, at the most we could have faced _maybe_ a few packs of wolves."

"That doesn't sound good, either…" Rulf muttered.

"By the way, we haven't actually formally introduced ourselves to each other, have we?" Malin suddenly interrupted. Everyone looked at him.

"Oh. You're right." Wesley said. "Well, to start off, I'm Wesley, a trader. This-" He patted Sayori lightly on the back. "-Is Sayori, my assistant."

"I am Malin, a hero of the people and one day the saviour of all of Uropa from whatever terrible plight may befall it." Malin stated confidently, before following Wesley's lead and smacking Natsuki on the back, causing her to lose all the breath in her body. "And this is Natsuki, my comrade in arms!"

Natsuki's face turned red with anger as she turned on Malin and began shouting curses at him. Meanwhile, the introductions continued.

"Well, I'm Wolfe, and the woman whose powers saved our asses calls herself Yuri. I was a farmer in Brimmen, and this girl was my farmhand."

Finally, everyone's gazes swiveled towards Rulf, who was sitting silently and eating drake meat. He had lost interest in the conversation and was lost in thought, but perked up when he noticed the lack of talking. He was intimidated upon seeing everyone's eyes trained on him.

"D-Did ya need sumn'?" He stuttered, worried that he might be in trouble.

"What's you and your partner's name?" Malin suddenly stated. Rulf blushed as he heard the word 'partner' used.

"Sh-She's not my...whatever...I'm Rulf. This is Monika." He said, pointing at Monika, who waved eccentrically. However, her enthusiasm died down as she was confronted with Sayori's hateful expression and Natsuki's unwillingness to make eye contact with her.

"What did you do before you were assigned to this mission?" Malin inquired. Rulf hesitated for a few moments, as he was greatly unprepared for this question.

"U-Um...I, er…"

"He was a hunter." Monika interposed in the conversation, covering for Rulf smoothly. "And he recruited me when I was wandering the roads."

"How humble!" Malin remarked.

Sayori seemed like she wanted to say something, but held back from it, though from what Monika could see, it didn't seem like it would have been nice.

From there, conversation ensued as everyone began to chat idly. It was noticeable to Monika, who was observing the conversations, that Wesley and Wolfe seemed to have an affinity for debating, while Malin and Natsuki clicked naturally when it came to simple talk. Meanwhile, she noticed Rulf was not participating in the conversation, to which she could only assume he was also observing.

Eventually, nightfall came, and everyone settled into their bedrolls. Despite the fact that Rulf had set up bells with string around the campsite, so that any unsuspecting intruder would alert the group immediately, they still decided to settle upon a single guard with two-hour shifts.  
And thus, the night settled in.

* * *

 _6 hours in…_

Sayori had taken the next shift, and was now sitting in front of the dwindling campfire, occasionally looking around the site to make sure there were no lurking creepers.

She was in deep pondering of her situation, and many thoughts were on her mind.

At the forefront of it all...was Monika.

Just thinking of that woman was nearly unbearable. How cruel it was that this world, in its sheer landmass and countless nations, placed her not just in the same nation, but in the same _town_ and _situation_ as Monika.

How incredibly ironic.

Her eyes wandered over to Monika, who was sleeping soundly. She felt her heart pang with indignation and rage.

 _How can she sleep so quietly, so peacefully, knowing what she's done?!_ Sayori thought in anger. _She's evil. Truly evil…_

Sayori got up from her spot near the fire and crept over ever so quietly to Monika. She kneeled in front of her, staring at her, trying to comprehend her thoughts.

 _What's she dreaming about? What could possibly give her such peace and happiness?_

 _Why is she so content? HOW can she be so content, knowing what atrocities she's committed?_

 _How DARE she sleep there, without a sign of stress or guilt!  
_ She felt herself unsheathe her dagger, ever so slowly.

 _I could kill her, right here and now, and spare this group of her trickery, her manipulation…_

Her knife gravitated towards Monika, hovering over her neck.

 _I could…_

 _Just one quick slice, and she'll pay for her actions._

 _I could…_

 _Just one true stab, and I can make her pay..._

 _I could…_

…

…

…

 _But I won't._

Sayori's dagger moved away from Monika's head and to her side. She could kill her, right here and now, but she would be damning herself and Wesley to an unknown fate if she did that, most likely a terrible one. There would be no explaining it, even if she did have the support of Yuri and Natsuki. Aside from that, she would no doubt incur the wrath of that Rulf guy if she were to do it. And above all, she could not be the one to decide the justice that would be served to Monika. That would have to be left to this world to decide.

But she was sure there would be justice, and plenty of it.

With that decided, she went to sheathe her knife, planning to take her seat back at the campfire-

 _Shhhink._

Sayori turned pale as she heard the rasp of a dagger unsheathing from its holster, and trembled as she felt the edge of a knife touch against her throat, pressing against it softly.

" _What do you think you're doing?"_

The low, threatening voice was recognized instantly by her. It was Rulf.

"I-It's not what you think-"

" _Don't bullshit me. I saw what you were planning on doing. You can count yourself extremely lucky that you didn't try anything, or I would have stuck a knife in you before you could."_

Sayori felt the knife press slightly into her throat, and she felt a warm sensation as a bit of hot blood came out from the slight wound, which trickled down her neck. She was shivering all over, unable to control her terror. She had no idea what he was planning to do.

" _It's only because you didn't try anything that I'm letting you live right now. But I warn you, woman…"_

Sayori felt him lean in next to her, whispering menacingly in her ear.

" _If you EVER try anything like that again...I will not hesitate to kill you and, if need be, Wesley."_

Sayori felt fear grip her heart at the mention of Wesley. The last thing she wanted in this world was for the person whom had cared for her since her arrival to get harmed.

"N-No, please, I swear, I-I won't!"

She was greeted with silence, the pressure of the knife not loosening, and for a moment she was terrified that he was planning to kill her. Then, in a moment of massive relief, she felt the cold steel let off from her throat, and the rasp of metal as Rulf sheathed his knife. Sayori turned around slowly to be greeted with Rulf's grim expression.

"You better." He stated, his threatening tone gone from his voice. "I'll take this shift until morning."

Sayori took no time moving over towards her bedroll next to Wesley, glancing once more at Rulf, who was following her with a sharp gaze. She finally settled into her bed, occasionally glancing behind her at Rulf with fear.

Rulf sighed, taking a seat beside the sleeping Monika, looking down at her with concern in his eyes.

"Tog, Monika...what did you do?"


	25. Chapter XIII: The Brewing Storm (Part 2)

**Chapter XIII: The Brewing Storm (Part 2)**

The council was gathered once more within the War Room, each of the 15 members seated at their respective positions, with the Head Councilman on a more refined and decorated chair. Servants came in, placing parchments, quills and ink cups, reports, and other documentation on the table, and the council members were quick to take up their utensils as they inspected the parchments before them.

"May today's present stenographer please note the date, time of Council Meeting, and starting subjects."

The quick writing of the present stenographer was heard as she jotted down the requested items on the list.  
"Starting subjects: Economic and social landscape of Brimmen, taxation of regions, and...the discussion of Princess Amelia."

The room went silent upon hearing the name, a topic of now-awkward discussion.

"That should be the first thing we touch upon." One council member piped up, breaking the silence.

"It's going to devolve into argument again. I think it should be for last." Another remarked.

"No, I agree with Jona. We have to address the situation. If we don't, we could have a problem between the lower social classes and royalty. That is _not_ something we want, especially now with the war going on between Brimmen and Cromoc."

Several council members piped up, agreeing with the statement.  
"Very well. Let's address it." The head council member said.

"What much is there to address?" One of the council members started. "Her Demi-Human nature being revealed is the main cause of all this trouble. By Tog, she can't even walk outside without risk of being stoned in the streets now!"

"Even worse, this only came to soil our Queen's reputation, since most people know that one of her parents had to be a Demi-Human for this to even be possible." Another council member added.

"Have we found out who leaked the Princess' condition to the public?" Another asked.

"It's not like this was going to stay under the covers for the rest of her life. It was probably that long tail of hers that gave it away. You can't really hide something like that for long."

"Well, we should have given her time to learn how to curl the thing or something so it doesn't protrude in such a way that it's noticeable. Or better yet, we should have just cut the damn thing off so there would have been no problem."

"There's still the trouble of her quite-elongated fangs and her slitted pupils. You can't really cut those off, now can you?"

"Regardless," The head council member butted in. "It's happened. We can't the change the past, so now we have to deal with this...problem." He sighed, looking around at the somber faces of his team. "...We might have to make some changes to law regarding Demi-Humans."

"Even if we do, sir, it's not as if we can erase the social and cultural bias that comes along with it." Jona piped up. "A simple change of law is not going to rid the public of their hatred and fear. And it's not as if the Demi-Humans don't already have the same liberties as humans. You, sir, should be the _most_ privy to the painstaking hours we spent devising liberties that restrained each individual race of Demis to their specific functions. No flying above twenty meters for winged Demis, no positions of power for Elves or Liches involving a lifetime service, etcetera. We've nearly broken our spines trying to make equal all of these damn races, and yet we cannot erase the discrimination they face from the people. That must be done through their own means, I'm afraid."

"Yes, yes, by Tog, your point is made, Jona." The head council member waved dismissively, looking over documentation. "Well, for now we'll just have to assign a bigger permanent guard to the poor girl until we can figure out a good solution. And by Tog, gentlemen, make sure anyone you hear spreading libel on the streets regarding the Queen or Princess is thrown in jail for light treason."

He sighed in frustration, pulling up another document.

"Now, onto our next subject... _Humans engaging in sexual intercourse with man-beasts?!_ What the fu-"

* * *

 _Click-tap, click-tap._

Amelia wished badly that she did not have to wear her dress shoes for today. Had it not been for seeing her younger cousin off to Skrutland by boat to marry the royalty there, she would not have worn them at all.

Then again, the heavily armored Monarchsmen that were her royal guard, along with the several guardsmen lined up next to the walkway blocking out the civilians were probably much more likely to attract that very same, unwanted attention, so it was not as if Amelia could have prevented it anyhow.

She tried her best to shield her eyes downwards as she noticed the glares of suspicion and hatred she received from the blended eyes of the crowd that watched her walk along, all the while hearing whispers pass around those watching, undoubtedly filled with malicious rumors or slander involving her.

 _Curse this tail,_ she thought bitterly to herself, feeling her snake-like appendage coil up against her, making rise to a noticeable bump under her dress. She had heard several crude remarks about it from several different people over the past week, since her secret had been revealed.

The Monarchsmen walked silently along her sides, as if moving statues. It was as if their clanking armor only served to add to the tension in the atmosphere.

"All hail the Princess of Monsters!"

 _Smack!_

A head of cabbage flew over the heads of the gathered crowd and broke apart on the cobblestone next to the princess, and immediately the guards formed up closer to Amelia, brandishing their shields upwards to prevent any perishables being thrown.

"CEASE AND DESIST, YOU TREASONOUS BASTARDS!" A captain of the guard yelled at the crowd, brandishing his club as the line of city guardsmen tried desperately to hold back the angry crowd, some of them beating angry citizens over the head.

More perishables began to fly from the crowd from unknown persons, hitting the shields of the Monarchsmen and near the pavement where the princess walked.

"Fucking monster!"

"Damned half-breed!"

"We'll not bow down to a spy for the Demis!"

Slurs and terrible words hit Amelia as horribly as the perishables that were being flung at her. She continued on down the walkway faster, trying to hold back her tears.

 _Crack!_

She was shocked as one particular rotten tomato managed to fly past the upheld shields and hit her square in the face, splattering over her facial features. She began crying, holding her head in her hands.

 _Curse this tail...curse my blood...curse my damn mother for having been born under a Demi-Human parent!_

"Don't cry, my lady."

Amelia brought up her tear-stricken face to see one of her Monarchsmen, Sir Joras, looking down at her. She could see his blue, caring eyes through the slit in his helmet. The slurs from the crowd, the perishables, and all other sounds aside from the soft, blowing wind seemed to fade away from her ears. He looked up, saying something she didn't understand to the other Monarchsmen, who nodded and headed towards the crowd. The sounds of steel rasping against their sheaths was heard briefly, but faded into obscurity along with the other sounds soon enough.

Her tears stopped flowing as Sir Joras draped his red cape around her with one hand, bringing up his giant, rectangular shield with the other, all the while looking forward as he led her towards the castle.

"Ignore their crude words, my lady. They are ignorant. It disappoints me immensely that they would ruin your beauty with their low-grown fruits."

Amelia couldn't help but stare at Sir Joras with relief and security. She had known him and grown up alongside him since birth, watching him practice the sword and shield, horse riding, archery, and squire for knights throughout their lives. It was an understatement to say that he was closest to her, besides her father, the King.

She was in love with him.

She continued staring at him with adoration in her eyes as he led her to the castle, only hearing the soft blowing of the wind.

* * *

"My ass..."

"How long has it been?"

"Uuuuuuhhhhhhh…."

"Stop complaining, you pussies."

It had been around 4 days of travel since the encounter with the drake, and the band had finally come upon the capital of Brimmen, the expansive city of Braymont. Everyone couldn't help but marvel at the stone walls that led across, stretching along either side, before turning off towards the towering cliffs that cut off at the sea a mile each way. A giant, grand palace ran along a mile of the cliff, with waterfalls big and small cascading down the rocks and into an unseen river below.

Aside from a few rivers that ran in and out of the city, however, there was little the group could see beside the few tall towers that rose above the giant, grey walls.

"DAYUM, this place is huge." Rulf commented idly, though he felt his anxiety increase when he noticed the amount of guards lining the walls and guarding the entrance into the city.

"I must say, it is quite a beautiful sight. I wouldn't mind living here if I ever retired from my heroism." Malin remarked.

"I don't think you retire from being a hero, Malin." Natsuki responded.

"Well, tis to be expected; The life of a hero is one of adversity." Malin proclaimed, prostrating himself upright so as to give off a heroic stance, his shoulder-length cape flying in the wind. Adrian, the tour guide, yelped as he felt Wolfe grab him by the scruff of the neck and pull him down to whisper in his ear.

"I've had to listen to this shit for 4 _fucking_ days, for the love of Tog can you just get us inside already?" Wolfe seethed in his ear.

"Y-Yes, Mister Wolfe, just let me get the proper documentation."

Wolfe released Adrian, who breathed a sigh of relief before pulling out documentation for the guards standing at the entrance, who they were approaching fast.

"Hello there, sirs!" Adrian started, giving a wide smile as he urged his horse forward casually. The two guards, who were heavily armored and had poleaxes leaning against their shoulders, lifted their tired eyes up towards the tour guide.

"Whut's yer business, sir?" The one on the right asked in a monotone manner, as if he had said the statement a thousand times.

"We were requested by His Grace, King Brommel." Adrian responded quickly, pulling out a folded parchment from his courier bag and leaning down to hand it to the guardsman, who took it and read it over with half-open eyes. "You see, these are the eight brave heroes from Dawnusk that-"  
"Alright yer good to go. Head in." The guard cut off Adrian in the middle of his speal, which made him stutter a bit before recovering, smiling once more at the guards in a sort of cringe-worthy manner.

"Th-Thank you, kind sirs, for your help. We'll, uh, be on our way now."

He bowed his head slightly before glancing back at the rest of the group, motioning with his head towards the gate. Everyone took the hint and urged their horses forward, passing through the open passage into the city.

"Make sure to deposit yer horses at one of the stables." One of the guards yelled back at the group.

"I'll make sure to deposit my foot up your arses, you fuckin' clod-nosed sons of bitches-" Adrian mumbled in anger as his horse continued trotting, and Rulf was privy to hearing many more crude words being said by their tour guide as they ventured forth.  
Nonetheless, a few minutes in, they found an open stable that would allow them to cover their horses for 10 pence per day. Wolfe sneered as he heard the daily price.

"I've met with highway robbers that asked for less." He muttered, though Rulf was sure that he was exaggerating, seeing that he himself was one of those acclaimed highwaymen.

After they had their horses stored, they began to wander as a group, as Adrian, despite having visited the capital once before, was unfamiliar with the new layout of the capital of Brimmen, despite his supposed position as their tour guide.

"What use are you?" Wesley murmured as he found this out.

"That hurts." Adrian responded.

"I mean, he is correct." Malin interposed, much to Adrian's dismay. "What do you we need you for now that we're here?"

"For proper authorization!" Adrian insisted, his feelings properly hurt by now.

"Oh. Yeah, I guess you're good for that." Malin concluded, though Adrian was left feeling like utter trash by the end of the exchange.

They perused the various markets, which were numerous not just around the town square, but expanding towards the entrance of the city.

"That's a business tactic." Wesley said to Sayori, who listened in to his sudden lesson. "Since everyone comes through that entrance, it's wise of the marketers to place their stalls nearest to the entrance, so that they may get the most traffic from-"

"Pretty sure that's a bit obvious, Wesley." Wolfe interjected, which pissed Wesley off.

"Maybe to a smartass like you, but most people wouldn't be aware of such a subtle maneuver-"

"Well that is true, if we're talking about people who only use their brain 1% of the time."

"Why don't you go check out the stalls that sell the latest farming technology? Oh wait, you wouldn't really know what that would be, considering how you bought a regular wheel whilst thinking it would somehow make river water more pure because that's what you thought a regular watermill did-"

"You _said_ you wouldn't reveal that out loud, you damn liar!"

A few minutes after their arguing died down, they eventually moved through all of the various buildings and market stalls to come upon another gate, this time with four heavily-armored guards.

"What is this shit, a checkpoint?" Rulf muttered in frustration.

"I think so." Adrian said, sighing in resignation. "Lots of security for a capital of an advanced nation, I guess."

They went through the same process as the first time, and eventually gained entry into the second level of the city, where they were greeted with a more refined road, buildings, and general infrastructure. They passed by several distinguished noble persons, along with their respective personal guards, though most of the passerby were formal and quaint with the passing group.

They also happened to pass by a few oddly-dressed individuals with long robes and distinguished caps, from pointed hats and hoods to feathered caps and specially-marked pins in their hair with an insignia that was unknown to any of the group members.

"Those must be mages." Adrian remarked.

"Mages?" Malin inquired.

"Individuals that can successfully utilize magic." Adrian explained. "It's what your friend there (Yuri, was it?) used earlier, a magical barrier of sorts that prevented that drake from flying in and slaughtering us, and instead splattering all over the barrier she conjured up. It's a bit hard to explain, but that was an example of magic. Honestly, it's kind of rare for someone to utilize magic like that without any sort of prior understanding or training to begin with, but not as much as you'd think. After all, from what I've heard, magic is most often powerful when it is fueled through emotion. That's probably why you rarely see any old mages nowadays-"

"Oh my Tog, are you still talking?" Rulf muttered to himself as Adrian went on the long speal regarding magic and its history.

"-And did you know that magic is more able to be used by women than men? In fact, that's what mainly affected the sex equality that you see today in most parts of the world with magic, since they often helped out with building the infrastructure and fighting back the terrible beasts-"

Rulf quickly lost his focus as he noticed a crowd gathering a few dozen meters away, near a particular walkway, where slurs and shouting was occurring. His interest piqued, he wandered over, followed subtly by Monika, and ignored by the rest of the group, who was still partly touring the city as Adrian went on and on.

"...Fuckin' half-breed!"

"You damn monster!"

"Spy for the Demis!"

Rulf was confused as he heard the phrases shouted, making his way through the crowd until he saw a princess walking through, surrounded by heavily-armored knights with swords and shields.

"What is this?" Monika whispered to him, though it could barely be heard over the shouting of the crowd.

"Dunno. Looks like some high ranking prick is gettin' hit with accusations and stuff." Rulf responded, his eyes on the princess passing through. She was barely able to be seen through all the tightly-packed guards around her. He felt a lifelong resentment stir in his chest.

He hated royalty, nobility, any of the like. Rulf considered them all to be corrupt, cynical asshats with only themselves in mind when making any policy or decision that affected the nation. It was a long-grown hatred, born out of the young childhood where he encountered many avaricious nobles that only used others as a stepping stool to gain a higher standing in life. Rulf considered that to be a terrible way to live, seeing no sort of fulfillment to be achieved through it. It was one of the main reasons he desired to only get rich to buy land and live humbly with a family to love and live with.

It was one of the reasons he protected Monika with his life. If she were, somehow, to be his love and wife in the future, he wanted badly to protect her and her charming personality, her great looks, her unique eyes, and every other surprising trait about her. He could see himself living a long, happy life with her, and thus he had to do whatever it took to protect that notion, however far off it seemed.

"You want a try?"

Rulf was disrupted from his deep thought by a particular citizen, who had in his hand a rotting tomato. That was when Rulf noticed that the other citizenry were throwing perishables at the princess, most of them hitting the shields that the guards had raised or the nearby pavement. He contemplated the action.

"Sure." He said, grinning maliciously and grabbing the rotting tomato with one hand. He aimed with one eye, centering on the princess, before throwing the tomato full-on towards the princess.

"Ooh!" He remarked in surprise as he witnessed the tomato fly up and over the crowd, past the raised shields of the guards, and hitting the princess square in the face. He felt a malicious satisfaction grow in his mind.

"That seems a cruel thing to do to someone who hasn't wronged you, my love."

Rulf turned towards Monika, who had voiced the subtle complaint to his action, watching him with honest eyes. He felt guilt as he looked into her eyes, but shook his head vehemently.

"Ah, bullshit. She and all those other noble cunts have wronged me and the common people since the beginning of civilization. All she's getting is fair treatment from the _true_ ruling class." He responded, jabbing a thumb at himself to emphasize his point.

"Whatever you say, my love." Monika responded simply. She didn't care at all for the livelihood of the princess, so she actually wasn't sure why she was protesting the actions of her beloved. If anything, she should have been relieved that he wasn't sympathizing with the princess like a 'white knight' (a term she had discovered from the internet in her previous days).

 _Shhhink._

 _Shhhink._

 _Shhhink._

Rulf, now alarmed, looked over to see three of the guards had detached from guarding the princess and unsheathed their swords, now advancing towards the crowd he was in, their knight helms hiding their expressions. The crowd backed away in sudden shock and fright from seeing the threatening display, and a few screams were heard as one of the guards grabbed someone, pulling them out towards the open walkway. Rulf saw it to be a young adult man, who was struggling with fear as he was brought out to the center of the display, with everyone watching.

Without a word, one of the guards unsheathed a knife, stepping over towards the poor man being held and slashing his knife across the man's throat. The onlookers screamed in horror as he gurgled and choked on his own blood, which poured out of his mouth and out of his neck wound. The guard holding him threw him to the ground, leaving him to flail around as he died slowly.

"Fuck! We need to get back to the group!" Rulf said aloud, grabbing Monika by the hand and running away, along with the giant crowd that was now fleeing from the terrible display.

As they eventually rounded a building, Rulf placed Monika against one of the walls, looking at her with a hint of fear in his eyes. "Monika, please promise me you will not tell anyone what I just did."

"Never, my love." Monika assured him, coming in to hug him. He felt relieved to hear it, but nonetheless was on edge from what he had seen.

 _We need to be even more careful, walking around this place,_ Rulf thought to himself.

* * *

Eventually, Rulf and Monika had caught back up with the group as they were just about to enter the King's Hall.

"What's wrong, Rulf?" Malin asked him openly. "You look pale as a ghost."

"It...was nothing…" Rulf murmured, keeping his head low to the ground. Monika did the same, as she had also felt fear from what she had seen at the display, having taken the same nonverbal message that Rulf had gotten back there.

"Very well, then." Malin said, shrugging his shoulders. "I shall not pursue the matter further."

After much clearance, and stripped of their weaponry, they made their way into the King's Hall, where they found themselves before a two large, dark-oak, wooden doors with iron bolts lining it vertically in a pattern of sorts.

"I do hope ya people know how to address yourselves to the king."

"Of course we do." Adrian commented, smiling, before turning towards the group behind him. "When we enter this hall," He whispered. "Kneel before the King. Always refer to him as 'Your Grace', and _always_ speak politely. Always ask, never demand."

Everyone nodded their heads silently as Adrian turned his head back to the wooden doors, which began to open.

The group entered into a grand hall of marbled columns and flooring, along with rugs, carpet, and tapestry depicting the insignia of Brimmen, a front-facing Great Bear, its several sharp teeth bared. Guards lined the spaces in between each column, with shield and poleaxe in hand. A few stood at the base of the steps in front of the King, who was at the far end of the hall on a raised throne, was speaking to one of the many advisors, along with a few of those mages, that sat in chairs around him, desks in front of them with parchment. Servants darted around the hall, going in and coming out of doorways. Wesley couldn't help but appreciate how form-fitting it all was.

"This place is pretty-"

"And who would you all be?"

"...Nice."

The King's voice boomed from across the hall, commanding their attention. The guards turned towards the group, and the advisors raised their heads from the writing they were doing on the parchments. Adrian was the first to respond, kneeling whilst bowing his head humbly.

"Your Grace."

"What're you doing?" Natsuki asked curiously, and Adrian looked at her as if she were stupid.

"Are you kidding me? It's the King! You always kneel before royalty!" He hissed, which embarrassed Natsuki.

"W-Well, you didn't have to say it like that-"

Everyone began to kneel, much to her alarm, and she quickly followed suit so as not to stand out, though mumbled under her breath about how rude some of these people were.

"So, uh, why are you here?" The King asked once more.

"Your Grace, these-" Adrian swept his hand across the individuals behind him. "-are the eight hero- er, _adventurers_ from Dawnusk-"

 _Alright, asshole, you can't even call us heroes?_ Rulf thought in ire. _I didn't even want to save some of those people, but I did, so give me some damn credit!_

"-that boldly assisted in saving the town from-

 _Assisted?! You little bitch, I practically ORCHESTRATED the saving of that town!_ Wesley wanted badly to shout at the tour guide.

"-The forces of those evil cultists-"

 _Man, fuck those guys,_ Wolfe thought to himself in anger. _I'm never gonna attempt to buy from that shitty town and its Tog-awful problems again._

"-And their leader, known to most as Haelin the Terror-"

 _I wonder what kind of chickens this town has?_ Malin thought absentmindedly, salivating at the thought of meat. _Maybe one of those types that reside in the valleys…_

 _I bet Malin isn't even paying attention to the procession,_ Natsuki thought, irked by his distant expression.

"-And saved the lives of over-"

"Oh, it's those guys." The King interrupted. "Yes, have them come to my war room immediately."

"...Yes, Your Grace."

At this point, Adrian didn't care anymore about interruptions. He just wanted to go home and stick his nose in another piece of literature.

"Rise, adventurers." The King proclaimed, standing up from his seat. Everyone did so, raising their heads towards him. "You may leave now, Mister...what's your name?"

"Adrian, Your Grace."

"Yeah you can leave now, Adrian."

"Many thanks, Your Grace." He seethed through his smile, bowing whilst backing himself towards the entrance.

"See ya later, chatterbox."

"Catch you on the flipside, Sir Yapsalot."

"Goodbye, you long-winded talker."

Adrian silently began cursing Rulf, Wesley and Wolfe as they mocked him whilst he was leaving, but as the door closed behind him, they faced the King once again.

"Sirs and ma'ams, the King shall now see you in the war room. But first, please deposit your weaponry with the guards."

* * *

The king, along with his advisors and counsel and the band of adventurers, made their way into the war room after the adventurers deposited their things with the guards, except for Natsuki, who insisted on keeping her dragon egg. The king saw no problem with it, leaving his personal guard outside in front of the war room.

"Man, he seems to place a lot of trust in us, going into a room without his personal bodyguards." Rulf whispered to Malin, who actually had to duck down to enter the room. Malin nodded his head thoughtfully.

"Yes, he does seem to think us trustworthy, going on without his personal guards like this." Malin spoke aloud for the entire room to hear, much to Rulf's alarm.

"Don't fuckin' say that out loud, you dumbshit-"

"Yes, I do place trust in you lot." The king spoke. Rulf turned his head towards him, a nervous smile plastered on his face.

"I-I meant nothing by it, sir-"

"Isn't it 'Your Grace'?" Monika whispered to him in a playfully sardonic manner.

"Y-Your Grace! Yes, I meant nothing-"

"I take no ill will towards it. But though I place trust in you all, I am not so foolish as to leave myself open to potential assassination. My advisors and counsel here are equipped and very skilled at combat, I assure you. But my entourage' fighting ability is not what we are here to discuss today."

The king took a seat on one of the many chairs that lined the big, ovular table in the middle of the room, and everyone else followed suit.

"I'm a little disappointed that he didn't announce our mission in the hall." Malin whispered to Natsuki.

"What, did you expect him to reveal this confidential mission out loud for everyone in the castle to hear?" She responded.  
"No, but...I sort of expected a bit more...how you say... _flair_ for the delivery."

"Now that I have you all gathered here," The king began. "I'll first introduce myself, if you don't already know of my name." He cleared his throat. "I am King Brommel Ragaery, Ruler of the nation of Brimmen, and Chairman of the Seven Nations' Allied Powers, otherwise known as S.N.A.P. Now, with that established, I have a task for you particular eight individuals, if you weren't aware."

All eight of them nodded their heads silently.

"I believe you were briefed on it by that Adrian man when he gathered you all, but if not, then I'll reiterate: For accomplishing this mission for the nation of Brimmen, ye shall awarded coin, lands, titles and even future prospects of service for the Crown, if you so desire it."

 _Fuck that,_ Rulf thought to himself. _Like I'm gonna somehow do MORE work for these pricks after I get my land and coin._

Being greeted with silence, King Brommel shook his head solemnly.

"Now, for your assignment."

He took a long sigh.

"I need you to assassinate one of the war leaders in Cromoc, Archduke Daers Deukinson."

* * *

 _Author Notes_

\- The last name was messed up, now fixed.


	26. Chapter XIV: The Brewing Storm (Part 3)

**Chapter XIV: The Brewing Storm (Part 3)**

"...Sorry, what?"

Rulf wasn't sure he heard the King right. King Brommel sighed.

"I need you to assassinate-"

 _Skrrch._

The sound of Rulf pushing his chair out as he got up broke the silence in the room, and drew everyone's heads towards him.

"Your Grace, this was a wonderful meeting, and I am...honored...to have taken this invitation, but I _strongly_ believe that I am not qualified for this type of...work." He murmured under his breath, trying to hide his indignation. The king's stare did not seem friendly, however.

"And what exactly did you expect when I called for your band to be here, sir?"

 _Not to be fucking ASSASSINATING A LORD OF AN ENEMY NATION!_ Rulf wanted to shout at the king. This was _completely_ out of his league! He had thought maybe the King wanted a confidential document delivered secretly across a border to Skrutland, or to deal with a spy that was found in the military, or something that wasn't so large scale right off the bat.

"Your Grace, he does have a point." Wesley interjected. He was just as pissed with this assignment as Rulf was. "Why are you issuing such a high-level mission to eight adventurers you hardly know about?"

The king leaned back in his chair, studying the faces of the group across from him.

"Well, for one thing, I actually do know quite a bit about you people." He responded simply. "After all, I do have to rule over not just my large nation of Brimmen, but also Frezland and Gruzland, those small island nations that are nothing but resource providers. Did you think I wouldn't have eyes and ears all over the region?"

Rulf and Wesley were silenced by shock.

 _...Fuck._ Rulf thought in fear. He should have thought of something so obvious.

Wesley was thinking the same thing. If anything, in fact, it made too much sense that they would be closely observed during and after that attack on Dawnusk, considering how prominent their roles in the attack were. Which meant that King Brommel actually spent three days evaluating them closely with a number of hidden spies and informants before they came to the Capital.

"Well, Your Grace, I am, as they say, _bready_ to go." Malin stated, which irked Natsuki greatly.

"Have you ever, once in your life, thought before you spoke?" She asked him directly, but he had already lost track of what he was talking about as he looked towards the king, who was speaking again.

"Listen. I have prepared this mission for a bit of time. This needs to be done before he encourages a full-on war between Brimmen and Cromoc. We have a bigger threat, after all."

"Wait, we're _not_ in a full-on war with Cromoc already?!" Wesley interjected. The King shook his head.

"Mere skirmishes and spying. But trust me when I say it can escalate. Were a total war to be initiated, you'd be seeing your hometowns raided and burned to the ground, your crops torched, your family raped, killed, enslaved, tortured. War is a terrible thing, and it is never something nations like Brimmen and Cromoc want to resort to unless absolutely necessary."

The room went silent as he snapped his fingers and a couple servants walked in, rolling out a map across the table. After creasing it out, the servants quickly receded back out of the room, closing the door behind them.

"How did they hear that snap from all the way out there?" Yuri whispered to Wolfe as she leaned over towards him.

"Magic." He said sarcastically. She looked over at him with concern.

"Really?"

Meanwhile, the King got up from his seat, planting one hand on the table whilst using the other to point at a large expanse on the map.

"This is the Romana Empire." He stated. "Over the course of 200 years, they've been expanding restlessly, conquering small villages and towns, before moving up to entire cities and nations. Their military is terrifying, their leaders are brilliant tacticians, and they are merciless when dealing with the enemy. Those they capture are enslaved, and are either used as slaves for growing crops or serving the populace, or they're forced to fight in the Bloody Theater."

 _Yeah, I'm not gonna ask what in Tog's name that is,_ Rulf assured himself. _I think the name explains it all._

"What's the Bloody Theater?" Malin asked, causing everyone to groan in frustration.

"Can you not discern its meaning from the name?" Wesley replied in annoyance. Rulf looked over at him with gratitude.

 _I really like that guy,_ Rulf thought to himself.

"It's fine. The Bloody Theater is-"

 _And he's STILL EXPLAINING IT!_

"-basically a fight pit, from monsters fights to battle royales. I heard they even flood the pit with water sometimes for ship fights. However, they add theatrics in twisted ways. Not twisted in the sense of torture, though. Sometimes they'll tie one leg and one arm behind all the fighters' backs. Sometimes they'll blindfold them and make them fight until they happen to hit each other. And sometimes they'll make them get on top of another fighter and chicken fight each other."

"Your Grace, this sounds really stupid." Wolfe piped up. Rulf was surprised by his brazen comment. He was terrified that the King would get angry, but he passed by it as if he didn't care at all.

"It may sound stupid, but if you're fighting to the death against your opponents, it's not as lighthearted as you may think."

 _It still sounds fucking dumb,_ Rulf thought to himself. He looked over at Wolfe with respect. He was starting to like that guy as well!

"Chicken fight?" Malin wondered aloud.

"I've heard rumors that they have a Delphina as the champion beast." The King continued. "And if you know anything about those monsters, you'll start to grasp why this Bloody Theater is so feared."

 _WHO CARES?!_ Rulf thought in frustration. _WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE DAMN MISSION?_

"Wow, that sounds pretty brutal." Malin commented.

 _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! MALIN, SHUT THE FUCK UP!_ Rulf wanted to shout at him. He already wanted to shank the King for going off on a long and unnecessary tangent after nonchalantly issuing the crew the task of _killing an archduke,_ which was the equivalent of killing a king's right hand man. If Malin kept encouraging these delays, Rulf would surely talk with the group (away from Malin) about kicking his dumb ass out of their travel group.

Then again...Everytime Rulf glanced towards Malin, he never got used to how monstrously huge the guy was. Even sitting down, almost all of his upper body was above Rulf's head. The guy was a beast, and since Rulf had survived this long in this harsh world, he knew how stupid it was to incur the wrath of someone so terrifying.

Besides, he liked that little girl that traveled with him. She seemed to have a smart head on her shoulders, and Rulf found her cute, in that really small kind of way, which was a bonus.

"...But bottom line is, ladies and gents, that the Romana Empire is the real threat, not Cromoc or any of its subordinate nations." He leaned forward on the table in an ominous manner.

"We need to be united to stop them. There's no point in 'what ifs'. They need to be stopped at _all_ costs." After a few moments of tension, he eventually eased back, and Rulf came back from his thoughts.

"Alrighty. That said…"

The King finished, and he and his advisers got up from their seats, much to Rulf's alarm.

 _Wait, what?! SHIT, did I lose track of the conversation?_

"My adviser here will explain any further matters you need to know about. Good luck on that, uh, trip, brave lads!"

With that half-assed farewell, he and the rest of his advisers, except for one woman, left the room, the door slamming behind them. The room was awkwardly silent as everyone stared at the single young woman, whose stern facial expression and mage robes intimidated Rulf from asking her any questions. He instead chose to lean over subtly and whisper into Monika's ear.

"I tuned out the last few seconds. What did he say?"

"You actually tuned out for a few _hours."_

" _WHAT?"_

She giggled.

"Just kidding!"

"Fuckin' hilarious- _Did he say anything important?"_

"Not that I know of. He just kind of...how you say… 'beat around the bush' before abruptly leaving."

"Oh...What a prick."

"I hope you aren't slandering the King's good name over there, Mr. Rulf."

Rulf turned pale white as his eyes darted over towards the stern-faced young lady, who seemed to be around Natsuki's height. Despite this non-intimidating appearance, her assumption (which was correct) terrified Rulf, as he had seen what happened to a mob of civilians that screwed with royalty. He tried to wave it aside, looking obviously nervous as he did so.

"Wh-What? _Noooo…_ That's...not...happening…Miss..."

The lady sighed.

"Darya. That's the least of our concerns right now, anyways. You all-"

She turned to the entirety of the group.

"-have an important mission ahead. You will be sneaking across the border between the nations of Brimmen and Cromoc and all of its subordinate nations. By doing this, you will be subject to the laws within Neriac-"

 _I didn't even know the laws in Uropa,_ Rulf thought to himself.

"-Which are, in our current state of war, extremely cruel towards Brimmenians and any other nations that associate with this nation. This will _not_ be a kind journey. You will have to face hardships, from learning to get food outside of buying from cities or towns to getting past the several battlefronts between Brimmen and Cromoc."

She looked around at everyone's faces.

"You need to be careful, and cautious."

"Coolio, can get out of here and get to completing this mission now?" Rulf asked aloud, scooting out from the table abruptly. That wasn't his course of action, though. As soon as he got out of this room and left the capital, he would be making his way straight back to Dawnusk with Monika, where he could find a job with steady pay, build back up the lodge he and Monika had spent weeks in, and lead a nice, quiet life while slowly working up enough money to buy his own plot of land to farm, hold livestock, and live on. He had initially taken on this mission for the idea of getting money to grant his dream, but after hearing about this ridiculous mission, he immediately switched mindsets.

"Actually, I have a question." Wesley interjected.

 _Wesley, please, for the love of Tog-_

"Why trust us?"

With the question addressed, everyone's eyes flew towards Darya.

"Well, besides the fact that you're relatively expendable-"

"Straightforward, I like it!" Malin commented.

"-I think that saving an entire town of civilians from crazy cultists is good enough to garner the trust of your King and country.

Her face softened a bit.

"You're heroes for that, you know?"

The room was silent for a bit at that sentiment. Malin grinned with pride. Rulf seemed to look a little more guilty. Darya eventually cleared her throat to break the silence.

"Well, um, that aside, I hope your question is answered. Now, one more concern to address."

She hesitated for dramatic tension.

"The Strand Sisters. They are a duo that prowl the front lines and catch spies that interrogate them for information. Usually, they'll send them back across the border as a sign of good faith to further prevent total war, but they have been known to kill those that hide information or bad mouth them, or even send them to a prison-city."

She took a breath before continuing.

"You will be encountering many like those Strand Sisters along the way. By that, I mean unique individuals, or 'Specialists' as they're called nowadays, which are people that have certain skill sets and work for their nations in minor and major ways, from delivering secret messages across nation borders-"

 _Which WE should be doing as a mission,_ Rulf thought in anger. _Instead of going to assassinate a damn Archduke._

"-And safeguarding merchant caravans to fighting in wars, acting as spies and saboteurs, and even carrying out assassinations. Like you guys are."

"So...we're 'Specialists'?" Malin inquired with an excited face.

"Not...really."

"Oh." Malin seemed greatly disappointed by her answer.

"You are...as the King likes to put it… 'emissaries of espionage'."

"Cool, so now that we've established that we're spies, _can we leave, please?"_ Rulf said with exasperation.

"Yes, you may all go now." She had to raise her voice as everyone began to scoot out of their seats and make their way towards the exit door. "I'd suggest you all buy some weaponry and gear for your trip! Money and supplies will be provided for at the front-"

Wolfe closed the door on her as they went out into the throne room of the palace.

"Alright." Malin smacked his hands together once. "What's the plan, Stan?"

"What do you mean?" Rulf inquired. He was negatively suspicious of anything Malin had to say right now.

"Well, you heard what the lady said as we were making our way out. Who's going to buy what supplies?"

A few seconds passed as the group collectively took a moment to think, except for Malin, who never thought. He was only silent because a passing butterfly momentarily caught his attention.

"Natsuki and I can go look for weaponry and armor, but we'll call down whoever needs to test them out and fit them on one at a time so the other group members can go do other things in the meantime." He stated.

"Alright, then…" Wolfe started. "Yuri and I can go get supplies for the group. Anything you guys want extra besides the essentials, I suggest you tell us now and give up the coin for us to pay for it."

"I'll get in contact with the local treasury here." Wesley stated. "I can probably withdraw some extra funds for the journey."

Everyone nodded their heads, with the exception of Rulf, who was biting his nails idly as he stared at the ground. Everyone turned their heads towards him, expecting him to pitch in. He only then noticed them staring and stammered for a response.

"U-Um...I'll, uh...I'll go, erm-"

"We'll go find a place to stay for us all to stay for the night." Monika butted in, subtly planting her hand on Rulf's shoulder.

"Alright, sounds good." Wesley interjected. He sincerely did not want to waste any more time deliberating. "Now, with all that said, I'll be seeing you gangsters at the town square by...let's say 6 in the evening?"

Everyone nodded their heads. Wesley nodded back, and began making his way out of the throne room, followed by Sayori.

"Meet you all at 6." Wolfe muttered, doing the same with Yuri.

"Same here." Rulf said simply.

As everyone made their way out of the building, Natsuki suddenly felt a light grab on her arm. She turned around to face a pudgy noble, dressed in the garbs of a fancy lad. He gave a friendly smile, which didn't pair particularly well with his twirly mustache and long goatee, which gave him a more villainous look.

"My lady." He said sweetly. "I've noticed you're carrying a particularly stunning egg in your travel pack."

That she was. In Natsuki's 'backpack' was the dragon egg she had been touting around since she'd found it at that forest with the giant, chimera and dragon.

"Thanks for noticing, my lord." She was privy to the fact that this man was indeed a noble. She had seen several during the raid on Dawnusk. This noble's smile seemed to widen even more than it already had, which gave a sort of creep undertone to Natsuki.

"I'll be blunt. I have an express interest in the egg. I'm willing to pay you a serious amount for it."

Natsuki considered for a moment. This was an opportunity for her. She only got the egg because it was left alone, and from what she thought, hatching a dragon would be downright badass.

On the other hand...if this man was offering serious coin, the group definitely wouldn't have to worry about any impending costs down the road of what Natsuki assumed would be a painstaking journey. Maybe…

 _No,_ she thought stubbornly. She had raised this egg for weeks now, and the potential to have an entire _dragon_ on the group's side heavily outweighed whatever this man was offering. She was one to believe that this fantasy world would have tameable dragons, which could help them in so many different ways.

At least, she _hoped_ they were tameable.

With that resolved in her mind, she shook her head softly.

"Sorry, sir, but this egg isn't for sale- Ow!"

She grunted in pain as she felt his grip tighten around her arm. His face contorted grimly.

"Listen here, _little girl._ Do you think the nobles of this city got here through half-assed bargaining with peasants? Do you know how many of you I've had to deal with on a daily basis, all of your little _fucking_ problems? You're all so Togdamn infuriating, so the _least_ you can do is give me that egg for a reasonable price!"

"Let go of me!"

As she protested against his grip, and he lectured her randomly, a large shadow fell upon the two. The noble noticed first, and looked up in irritation.

"This doesn't concern you, peasant-"  
His face went slack as he found himself staring up at a behemoth of a man, who was giving him a look of silent anger.

"Let go of her, My Lord."

There was no respect put into the title of which the noble was addressed by. His face paled, and he released his grip of the girl, who cursed at him once more before making her way out the front. The behemoth kept his eyes on him, his expression seeming to get more and more menacing as the seconds passed by. He eventually swept his gaze away, following closely behind the little girl.

"That little bitch…" He seethed, turning on his heel and heading towards a side door. "I'll get that dragon egg, one way or another…"

* * *

Around 10 minutes after the meeting had been convened, everyone had found themselves in various parts of the town. Wolfe and Yuri, after having a short discussion of priorities, decided to head for the apothecary to hash out Yuri's sudden accruing of magical powers.

"You know, we haven't actually talked too much about...stuff in general recently." Wolfe started as they made their way to the apothecary. Yuri tilted her head in curiosity, her odd purple hair glittering in the sunshine as it shifted.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, uh, I mean...we've both been kinda silent, you know?"

Yuri nodded her head, looking to the ground.

"Yeah, I see what you mean." She said softly.

Over the course of the weeks they had spent together, Wolfe and Yuri had become much more comfortable around each other as time passed, and Wolfe was relieved to see that she no longer stuttered or hesitated when talking to him, as it was in the first days of their meeting. In fact, she was well-spoken, if anything. Wolfe had never seen such a transformation occur with someone before, mostly because he wasn't able to encounter many shy girls in such a brazen world as this.

"So," Wolfe began, about to start a conversation concerning more of Yuri's origin than the vague answer she gave back at his farm, which would then hopefully head into a discussion about Yuri's viewpoint on the group members they were stuck with. "I just wanted to ask-"

"Oh, we're here." Yuri interrupted. Wolfe was left stumbling over his words as his entire plan fell apart. He settled with grumbling, looking up at the white, pristine building that sat in front of them. A sign was seen nailed above the front door.

 _Ruben's Mediciary_

"What in Tog's name is a 'mediciary'?" Wolfe asked with a confused expression. "Is that even a word?"

"I mean, you can kind of guess what it means." Yuri mumbled. Wolfe suddenly felt stupid, which irritated him even more than he already was.

"Whatever, let's just head inside."

And so they did. As Wolfe pushed open the door, he was greeted with a small but quaint setting. The inside had a more grey interior than its white exterior. On both sides of the room were shelves of medicinal products, which were in multitude of wooden and glass containers. A few feet away was a secretary's desk, and behind it a young man with brown hair, who turned his face up from the paperwork he had on the desk.

"Ah, uh, hello there, sir and ma'am! I assume you're, uh, here to see Miss Doctor- er, Doctor Ruben?"

"Yes." Wolfe replied. He was put off by the young man's awkwardness.

"Well, I'll go get her then. Please, stand there, or, uh, take a seat on those...seats!" He pointed to the wooden benches on either side of Wolfe and Yuri.  
"...Will do."

Inwardly, Wolfe was trying not to cringe at this man's clear ineptitude at basic conversation. Once the young man left the room, Wolfe groaned, releasing a physical relief of the pent-up cringe he felt from that awful encounter.

"I'm glad I'm not like that anymore." Yuri whispered into his ear.

Wolfe turned to her with slightly widened eyes. He was surprised by her sudden self-awareness.

The young man came back from around the corner.

"Doctor Ruben is, uh, ready to see you two! Good luck!"

"Yes, thank Tog you're not like that around me anymore." Wolfe mumbled to himself, and they made their way into the room.

Upon entrance, Wolfe and Yuri were greeted with what seemed to mirror the setup of an alchemist. Rows of brewing potions and glass tubes lined the wooden table to their immediate left, and opposite of them was a wall with shelves of various tinctures and medicinal products that Wolfe had not a clue about. As the two turned the corner, they noticed a desk at the far end of the room, manned by a short young lady, who was peering at a particular stack of papers in her hands. Wolfe was starting to get tired of seeing all these desk workers and their damn paperwork.

As if hearing his inner thoughts, the young lady looked up with a slightly irritated expression, which softened as they focused on Wolfe and Yuri.

"Ah, hello there." She muttered, placing the parchments aside, scooting her chair out and walking around the desk. "I am Doctor Ruben."

As she came up offering a handshake, Wolfe noticed a copper amulet hanging from her neck, with the symbol of an olive branch over a shield.

"Eyes are up here, buddy."

"Oh, uh-" Wolfe stammered, feeling shame. He only now realized the amulet was nestled in her cleavage.

The young lady chuckled light-heartedly. "I'm kidding. Whatever helps the mind, right?"

Wolfe wasn't sure what the deal was with the people in this nation, but this routine of comedy was starting to wear him out. He shook his head, regaining his confidence, ignoring the seemingly jealous look Yuri had on her face.

"We're here because she-" He jabbed his thumb at Yuri. "-Can suddenly summon force fields out of thin air."

Ruben turned her head to Yuri with a curious expression. "Is that so?"

"That so."

Ruben placed her arms in a thinking manner, tapping her chin thoughtfully, looking Yuri up and down. Yuri reacted by shyly placing her hands behind her back, like clockwork. Her behavior was so predictable to Wolfe, he had started keeping a mental record of how many times he would correctly guess when she'd do so. He was pretty on-point, so far.

"I can sense quite the aura on you, now that I'm focused."

"You sense an 'aura'?"

Ruben sighed, as if she were about to explain something she had done a thousand times before.

"Every being has a 'magical aura', for lack of a better term. Depending on how powerful the user is, both through refined skill and sheer raw magical power, it shapes an 'aura' around that individual. Unfortunately, the only people who can detect these auras have to be conditioned to magic through various methods, or have to be good magic users themselves."

"Wait, so who exactly can _use_ magic?" Wolfe inquired, now intrigued by this new topic.

"Well, technically anybody, but the vast majority of people do not start off with the capabilities of using magic, they have to condition themselves to use it every day for years. Of course, there is a small percentage of people who can use magic naturally, kind of like how some people are talented at certain things. However, it's the same with raw talent - you have to hone it to be able to properly control and use it."

She pointed at Yuri.

"By the way you described this girl's situation, I assume you and her discovered it for the first time through accident?"

Wolfe nodded his head.

"She raised some large magical force field type thing that stopped a drake in its tracks and killed it through blunt force."

Ruben's eyes widened after hearing what he had said.

"Wait- a _drake?"_

"I mean, yeah. It flew over us during our journey here and dived down at us with the intent to kill and, uh, most likely eat."

Ruben looked concerned to Wolfe.

"You were lucky to get out of that. Still, it's odd that a drake would initiate an attack like that on _people._ Usually, they're more likely to aim for more defenseless or slow-moving animals, since they don't have the energy to keep swiping down at prey that can evade easily-"

"Yeah yeah, I get it. Look, I don't mean to be rude, but can we just get to the discussion of this 'magic' stuff?"

Ruben looked a bit irritated, but eventually she let out a pent-up breath, gesturing to her seat.

"Well then, take a seat, and we can talk more about it in detail."


End file.
